University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heel Women's Golf Team Opens Spring Season On Sunday
March 6, 2009 | Women's Golf
March 6, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - It's a great time to be a part of women's golf at the University of North Carolina. The team is currently ranked 15th in both the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings and the Golf World/Coaches' Poll, the four fall season tournaments produced eight top-15 individual finishes, and a freshman even tied to win the Tar Heels' sole home tournament. Above all, head coach Sally Austin couldn't be happier to dive into the spring season.
"We're just ready to get going," says Austin. "I think the kids are really excited about it and the coaches are too. We've been practicing a long time and we're just ready to get out there and play."
The Tar Heels have not seen action since The Landfall Tradition in late October where the team tied for third. But they're looking to play hard and have fun doing it as they begin spring play.
Austin is very confident in her two seniors, Sydney Crane and Lauren Hunt, especially when it comes to her mission for the team.
"I think [Sydney and Lauren] see what this team can do and they're excited," says Austin. "They've lead by example and have been encouraging to the underclassmen. They've worked hard and they're having fun too."
"Crane, a 2008 All-ACC performer, finished the fall with a tie for fourth at the Cougar Classic, a tie for eighth at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, and set a career-high of four under-pars in a season. The Jamestown, N.C., native is also second on the team with a 74.25 scoring average for the fall.
"Hunt proved she can contribute to the team as a senior with two top-20 finishes, including a tie for 10th at the Tar Heel Invitational, in the fall. Hunt hasn't done as well as when she was an underclassman, but Austin is confident things will turn out well for the Little River, S.C., native.
Carolina is very fortunate to have freshmen Catherine O'Donnell and Allie White be such big contributors so early in their college careers.
O'Donnell tied for first at the Tar Heel Invitational and consistently tied for 28th in the three other tournaments. Out of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., O'Donnell is third on the team in scoring average with a 74.50. She also carded a low of 69 and finished under par twice during the fall.
White is certainly a firecracker, leading the team in scoring average and rounds counted toward team scores. Hailing from Lancaster, Ohio, she finished in the top-30 in all four fall tournaments, three of which were in the top-15.
Within all this excitement, there is also a bittersweet aspect. Austin announced last November that she would step down from the helm at the end of the 2008-09 season. She will leave a very successful career behind, but Austin is assured she will hold great memories and friendships with this group of talented young women and her assistant coach Patricia Earley.
"That's what's making it special," says Austin. "It's just the kids that I'm working with. And Patricia, she's a terrific assistant. Our goal is to be competitive and to have a good time. We want to make sure all of us have a good time. We're enjoying each other, the chemistry is good. We get along and we laugh a lot. We like being together and the kids do, and I think that's huge."
Although the 2009 spring season is starting later than usual, Austin can't say enough how excited she and the team are to get back into competition.
"Most of the other teams [we'll be playing against] have already been playing," says Austin. "We're not going to be too hard on ourselves, just expecting all of us to go out there and give it our best. We've got to enjoy getting back into competition and if we do that I think we'll be fine."
The women's golf team will open the spring season with the UCF Challenge Sunday through Tuesday in Sorrento, Fla. The 54-hole event will be played at RedTail Golf Club which features a par 72, 6,301-yard layout. Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament on Golfstat.com.
![Images from the first round of the 2026 Gators Invitational on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. [Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography for North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Func.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F3%2F7%2F260306-NCAAWGOLF-UNC-GatorsInvitational-0828-MattPendleton_copy.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
