July 30, 2007

Romeoville, Ill. - Former Gamecock golfer Jenna Pearson three-putted for bogey on the 10th playoff hole to take the runner-up crown at the 13th Illinois Women's Open, held July 26-28 at Mistwood Golf Club. Pearson, who won the 2006 Illinois Women's Open and is currently playing on the FUTURES Tour, came back from behind in the final round to force the third playoff in the tournament's history.

Nicole Schachner won the championship with a two-putt for par.

Pearson, a 2006 Second-Team All-SEC selection, finished at one-under, rebounding from a mediocre first round score to bounce back in the final rounds with a 74-69-72=215. Her play mirrored that of her 2006 victory when she sat at 14th after the first round to steadily improve to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 72-68-68=208.

Pearson started the final round with a 143, two back from the lead. She tied Schachner at 1-under 215 with a birdie tap-in on the final hole of regulation after missing a 20-foot eagle putt that would have given her the outright victory. After a four-hole, aggregate score playoff, the two remained tied so the overtime reverted to sudden death.

The two leaders played Mistwood's 528-yard, par-5 third hole twice in the aggregate playoff and another six times until the finish.

"We both played great, and I feel good about it," Pearson said. "That's what I'll remember."

The Illinois Women's Open, the 54-hole state championship of golf, is open to women professionals and amateurs age 17 and over who reside in or are enrolled in a college or university in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Pearson earned All-SEC honors this season after finishing fifth on the individual leaderboard at the SEC Championships. It was the first top-five finish for a Carolina player at the conference championship since current LPGA player Kristi McPherson finished third in 2003.