University of North Carolina Athletics
Womens Golf Fall 2016 Recap
February 17, 2017 | Women's Golf
CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina women's golf team heads into the offseason after an eventful fall. The highlight for the fall season was the Cougar Classic in which the team took first in a challenging field, and Kelly Whaley picked up her first collegiate win.
Senior Leslie Cloots leads the team in stroke average at 72.67. Cloots only competed in three tournaments because she was selected to play in the World Team Amateur Championships and missed Carolina's first tournament to compete in that. Cloots also is tied for the most under-par rounds at three.
Junior Lexi Harkins is second on the team in stroke average at 73.08 and already has three under-par rounds. Harkins has provided consistent play with Carolina counting 11 of her 12 rounds.
Sophomore Kelly Whaley had a historic performance at the Cougar Classic breaking Carolina records for single round vs. par, single round total score, tournament score vs. par and tournament total score. Whaley's 6-under 66 is the Tar Heels lowest round of the year.
Junior Bryana Nguyen has usually been Carolina's fifth player, but her stroke average of 74.25 ranks fourth on the team. Nguyen's already posted two under-par rounds for the Heels in only four tournaments.
Brynn Walker has cracked the starting lineup in every tournament during the fall and has counted 10 rounds towards the Carolina score. She also has two under-par rounds under her belt.
Carolina has also seen some great potential for depth on the team with some solid rounds from freshman Mariana Ocano and sophomore Killian Casson. Ocano has played in three tournaments, two as an individual, and Casson has played in two tournaments with one as an individual. Both have posted rounds of 73 in the fall.
Carolina has shown the tremendous talent that is rostered on the team and broke into the top 10 in national rankings. The team will have to show consistency through the spring to make a long run into May to compete at the NCAA Championships. The Tar Heels schedule is loaded with great tournaments and strong fields that should help them in their run to make the championships.
Check back tomorrow to GoHeels.com to get an outlook for the upcoming spring season.
