University of North Carolina Athletics
Sunday, September 9
Charleston, S.C.
All Day
North Carolina
at
Cougar Classic Day 1
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Open Season Sunday at Cougar Classic
September 7, 2018 | Women's Golf
HANAHAN, S.C. – The University of North Carolina women's golf team is set to open their 2018-19 season Sunday through Friday at the Cougar Classic hosted by College of Charleston at Yeamans Hall Club in Hanahan, South Carolina. The event returns to Yeamans Hall after moving to the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island for one year while Yeamans Hall underwent construction.
The Tar Heels' starting five for their season opener will be senior Kelly Whaley, junior Brynn Walker, sophomore Ava Bergner, and freshmen Jennifer Zhou and Nicole Lu.
This year features an especially strong field of 19 teams, eight of which finished in the Top 25 at the end of last season. Joining the Tar Heels from the ACC are Boston College, Florida State, NC State and Wake Forest. Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt will represent the SEC. Baylor, Charleston Southern, Furman, Georgetown, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, UCF and host College of Charleston round out the field.
Carolina will look to build upon last year's fifth place finish at the event. Bergner led the way for the Tar Heels in 2017, shooting a 1-over-par 220 and carding a 3-under 70 in the second round to finish tied for tenth. Whaley will look to recapture the tournament title that she took home in 2016, thanks in large part to a program records for both single round score (66) and score-to-par (-6) as she led the team to the team title as well.
The Tar Heels return to Yeamans Hall as the reigning champions at the course due to the year away. Newly renovated Yeamans Hall features generous fairways and large greens, a stark contrast to the Ocean Course's raised fairways and typically windy conditions.
"Yeamans Hall is one of my favorite golf courses," tenth-year head coach Jan Mann said. "They just redid their greens and fairways; we are anticipating it being in immaculate shape. It is a fun tournament."
TEAM PREVIEW
After finishing ninth in the San Francisco NCAA Regional last season, the Tar Heels will look to rebound and return to the NCAA Championship this year.
This year's team features two seniors in Kelly Whaley and Clementina Rodriguez. Whaley will look to build upon a stellar junior campaign in which she set a UNC record for stroke average at 73.24.
"Kelly worked really hard over the summer and her golf swing looks the best it has ever looked," Mann said. "I think she is going to have a great year."
Jennifer Zhou and Nicole Lu make up the incoming freshman class. Zhou, from Longwood, Fla., began her golf career in China at age 13 before moving to the US to attend the Mike Bender Golf Academy. She helped lead her high school to two state titles and had success on the AJGA circuit. Lu, from Taipei, Taiwan also had success playing in the AJGA and made the cut at the US Women's Amateur Open.
"They are both very good ball strikers and have good short games," Mann said. "What I am seeing is consistency. I don't think they are going to have any blow-up holes. It is going to be very consistent with both of them."
Bergner, now a sophomore, will be expected to make a big impact as she did last year. She finished second in stroke average (74) as a freshman and tied a UNC record with a 6-under 66 in the final round of the Ruth's Chris Invitational.
Kristen Simpson joins Mann as associate head coach, stepping in after Aimee Neff departed after one season to take the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic. Simpson played golf at Virginia for Coach Mann. Simpson spent the past four years as an assistant at Maryland, and the three years prior to that at Old Dominion.
"She is just a great person," Mann said. "I love her energy and she has a great sense of humor so she keeps the girls smiling and relaxed, which is a big part of coaching golf. She is a great asset to the program. Even though it has only been a few weeks, the team as adapted very well and we are very excited that she is here."
Missing the NCAA Championship by just two strokes served as motivation for the team during the offseason, and incentive to continue working hard throughout the year to get back to the NCAA Championship.
"I feel like this team can not only do well at regionals, but also do well at the championships," Mann said. "They are working hard and have to continue to work hard."
COURSE INFORMATION
Yeamans Hall Club – Hanahan, S.C. – Par 72 – 6,261 yards
LIVE SCORING
www.Golfstat.com
Tee Times
Sunday, Sept. 9 – First Round – 9:42 a.m. off the No. 1 tee
Monday, Sept. 10 – Second Round – 9:27 a.m. off the No. 10 tee
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – Final Round – 9:00 a.m. shotgun start
The Tar Heels' starting five for their season opener will be senior Kelly Whaley, junior Brynn Walker, sophomore Ava Bergner, and freshmen Jennifer Zhou and Nicole Lu.
This year features an especially strong field of 19 teams, eight of which finished in the Top 25 at the end of last season. Joining the Tar Heels from the ACC are Boston College, Florida State, NC State and Wake Forest. Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt will represent the SEC. Baylor, Charleston Southern, Furman, Georgetown, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, UCF and host College of Charleston round out the field.
Carolina will look to build upon last year's fifth place finish at the event. Bergner led the way for the Tar Heels in 2017, shooting a 1-over-par 220 and carding a 3-under 70 in the second round to finish tied for tenth. Whaley will look to recapture the tournament title that she took home in 2016, thanks in large part to a program records for both single round score (66) and score-to-par (-6) as she led the team to the team title as well.
The Tar Heels return to Yeamans Hall as the reigning champions at the course due to the year away. Newly renovated Yeamans Hall features generous fairways and large greens, a stark contrast to the Ocean Course's raised fairways and typically windy conditions.
"Yeamans Hall is one of my favorite golf courses," tenth-year head coach Jan Mann said. "They just redid their greens and fairways; we are anticipating it being in immaculate shape. It is a fun tournament."
TEAM PREVIEW
After finishing ninth in the San Francisco NCAA Regional last season, the Tar Heels will look to rebound and return to the NCAA Championship this year.
This year's team features two seniors in Kelly Whaley and Clementina Rodriguez. Whaley will look to build upon a stellar junior campaign in which she set a UNC record for stroke average at 73.24.
"Kelly worked really hard over the summer and her golf swing looks the best it has ever looked," Mann said. "I think she is going to have a great year."
Jennifer Zhou and Nicole Lu make up the incoming freshman class. Zhou, from Longwood, Fla., began her golf career in China at age 13 before moving to the US to attend the Mike Bender Golf Academy. She helped lead her high school to two state titles and had success on the AJGA circuit. Lu, from Taipei, Taiwan also had success playing in the AJGA and made the cut at the US Women's Amateur Open.
"They are both very good ball strikers and have good short games," Mann said. "What I am seeing is consistency. I don't think they are going to have any blow-up holes. It is going to be very consistent with both of them."
Bergner, now a sophomore, will be expected to make a big impact as she did last year. She finished second in stroke average (74) as a freshman and tied a UNC record with a 6-under 66 in the final round of the Ruth's Chris Invitational.
Kristen Simpson joins Mann as associate head coach, stepping in after Aimee Neff departed after one season to take the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic. Simpson played golf at Virginia for Coach Mann. Simpson spent the past four years as an assistant at Maryland, and the three years prior to that at Old Dominion.
"She is just a great person," Mann said. "I love her energy and she has a great sense of humor so she keeps the girls smiling and relaxed, which is a big part of coaching golf. She is a great asset to the program. Even though it has only been a few weeks, the team as adapted very well and we are very excited that she is here."
Missing the NCAA Championship by just two strokes served as motivation for the team during the offseason, and incentive to continue working hard throughout the year to get back to the NCAA Championship.
"I feel like this team can not only do well at regionals, but also do well at the championships," Mann said. "They are working hard and have to continue to work hard."
COURSE INFORMATION
Yeamans Hall Club – Hanahan, S.C. – Par 72 – 6,261 yards
LIVE SCORING
www.Golfstat.com
Tee Times
Sunday, Sept. 9 – First Round – 9:42 a.m. off the No. 1 tee
Monday, Sept. 10 – Second Round – 9:27 a.m. off the No. 10 tee
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – Final Round – 9:00 a.m. shotgun start
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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