LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — With the season on the brink, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament played like it.
With the top six teams in the Louisville Regional advancing to the NCAA Championship, South Carolina was sitting in sixth place until a stumble on 18 dropped the Gamecocks into a tie with Arkansas.
But Caroilna did not panic and the players attacked the University of Louisville Golf Club layout on the par-5 ninth hole.
Lois Kaye Go, Paula Kimer and Mathilde Claisse would all birdie the hole, giving South Carolina three-shot advantage with its top two players coming up the fairway.
SEC Player of the Year Pauline Roussin-Bouchar would respond with an eagle before All-SEC First Team selection Ana Pelaez sealed the playoff victory by getting up and down out of a bunker for a birdie. The clutch playoff performance would send the Gamecocks to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2017.
The NCAA Championship gets underway May 21 at the Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.