University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Women's Golf Hosts Tar Heel Invitational
October 5, 2011 | Women's Golf
Oct. 5, 2011
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina women's golf team will host the 36th annual Tar Heel Invitational Oct. 7-9 at the UNC Finley Golf Course, which boasts a par 72, 6,285-yard layout. On Friday and Saturday, golfers will tee off at 8:51 a.m. from both the first and 10th tees. There will be a shotgun start at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday for the final round.
Of 18 teams slated to compete, 13 are in the top 25 according to the latest Golf World/Coaches' poll released Sept. 28. The host Tar Heels are ranked fifth, but they'll face tough competition as some of the top female golfers in the country are making the trip to Chapel Hill. Six teams are in the top 10, including second-ranked South Carolina, LSU (No. 3), Alabama (No. 4), North Carolina (No. 5), Virginia (No. 6), and Georgia (No. 10). The remaining ranked teams are Duke (No. 11), Arkansas (No. 13), Tennessee (No. 14), Auburn (No. 16), Michigan State (No. 21), NC State (No. 23) and Wake Forest (No. 24). Also competing for the title will be Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Louisville, Notre Dame and Tulane.
"We are excited to once again be hosting the Tar Heel Invitational," said Tar Heel head coach Jan Mann. "Finley Golf Course is in excellent condition and the weather for the weekend looks great for golf. I encourage our fans to come out and watch 18 great collegiate teams compete for the Tar Heel Invitational title."
The Tar Heels are off to a strong start in 2011 through two tournaments. Carolina was the runner-up in its first tournament, the Cougar Classic in Hanahan, S.C. Amidst strong competition from a 22-team field, the Tar Heels played solid as five Tar Heels finished in the top 25. Sophomore Jackie Chang led the way with a 6-under-par 210 total and a fifth-place finish. Sophomore Casey Grice, competing as an individual, fired a 4-under 212 to finish eighth. Junior Courtney Gunter tied for 12th place at 2-under 214, senior Allie White tied for 22nd at 1-over 217, sophomore Katherine Perry tied for 26th at 2-over 218 and senior Catherine O'Donnell tied for 44th at 5-over 221. The Tar Heels then traveled to Vanderbilt's Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., where they tied for fifth place in the Mason Rudolph Fall Preview, once again against top-notch competition. Leading the way was Grice who tied for eighth place at 2-over 218 and White who tied for 16th at 4-over 220.
The Tar Heels look to top their fifth-place finish at last year's Tar Heel Invitational. O'Donnell, an All-ACC performer last season, tied for 10th last year at 5-under-par 211 and Gunter tied for 19th at 2-under 214.
![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)
Players Mentioned
