Friday, October 15
Chapel Hill (UNC Finley GC)
All Day
North Carolina
vs
Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational Day One
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Women's Golf Hosts Ruth's Chris Invitational Friday Through Sunday
October 14, 2021 | Women's Golf
UNC Finley GC the Site Beginning Friday at 8:30 A.M.
Carolina women's golf hosts the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational at UNC Finley Golf Course Friday through Sunday, October 15-17.
The Ruth's Chris event returns after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Michigan State won the tournament in 2019 and returns to Chapel Hill as one of 18 teams and nearly 100 players in the field.
"It is an honor to have Mike O'Donnell and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse as the title sponsor of our home tournament for the 15th year," says UNC head coach Aimee Neff. "It is one of the most sought-after tournaments berths in the country and we are proud to have another outstanding field this year."
The Tar Heels are one of 13 teams in the tournament currently ranked in Golfstat's top 50. Michigan is No. 9, the highest-ranked team participating this weekend at Finley, and is followed in the top 25 by Wake Forest (11), Duke (12) and Alabama (13).
Carolina is 39th after finishing tied for fifth at the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C., and ninth at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
"Although we are excited to be competing at home, our focus stays the same — be in tune with our games and focus on what we can control," says Neff. "The consistent theme is to keep getting better each day and understand it is an opportunity to learn and grow each time we tee it up. I like the way the team has responded after our most recent competition and excited to get back into tournament mode."
The Tar Heel lineup includes Kayla Smith, a junior from Burlington, N.C.; ACC co-Golfer of the Month for September Krista Junkkari, a junior from Finland; Natalia Aseguinolaza, a sophomore from Spain; Stephany Kim, a freshman from the Dominican Republic; and Crista Izuzquiza, a sophomore from Spain.
Tar Heels competing as individual entries are Nicole Adam, a sophomore from Pinehurst, N.C.; Nicole Lu, a senior from Taiwan; Aleks Golde, a junior from Atlanta; and Riley Quartermain, a freshman from Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Carolina is paired in Friday's first round with Michigan State and Vanderbilt. They are the initial groups going off the first hole beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Second round play is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with Sunday's final round a shotgun start at 8:45 a.m.
Michigan State's Valery Plata was the medalist in 2019 with an 11-under 205 and is in the No. 1 spot in the lineup this weekend for the Spartans.
Five players ranked in Golfstat's top 30 are competing led by No. 18 Melena Barrientos of Clemson and Michigan's Ashley Lau (19) and Hailey Borja (24), Duke's Erica Shepherd (25) and Junkkari (27).
The Tar Heel Invitational began in 1976. UNC has won the event six times – 1976, 1979, 1985, 1991, 1992 and 2012.
Duke is a 16-time winner of the tournament, most recently in 2017 and 2018.
Admission is free. Follow live stats at https://bit.ly/3vdNHV4
The Ruth's Chris event returns after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Michigan State won the tournament in 2019 and returns to Chapel Hill as one of 18 teams and nearly 100 players in the field.
"It is an honor to have Mike O'Donnell and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse as the title sponsor of our home tournament for the 15th year," says UNC head coach Aimee Neff. "It is one of the most sought-after tournaments berths in the country and we are proud to have another outstanding field this year."
The Tar Heels are one of 13 teams in the tournament currently ranked in Golfstat's top 50. Michigan is No. 9, the highest-ranked team participating this weekend at Finley, and is followed in the top 25 by Wake Forest (11), Duke (12) and Alabama (13).
Carolina is 39th after finishing tied for fifth at the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C., and ninth at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
"Although we are excited to be competing at home, our focus stays the same — be in tune with our games and focus on what we can control," says Neff. "The consistent theme is to keep getting better each day and understand it is an opportunity to learn and grow each time we tee it up. I like the way the team has responded after our most recent competition and excited to get back into tournament mode."
The Tar Heel lineup includes Kayla Smith, a junior from Burlington, N.C.; ACC co-Golfer of the Month for September Krista Junkkari, a junior from Finland; Natalia Aseguinolaza, a sophomore from Spain; Stephany Kim, a freshman from the Dominican Republic; and Crista Izuzquiza, a sophomore from Spain.
Tar Heels competing as individual entries are Nicole Adam, a sophomore from Pinehurst, N.C.; Nicole Lu, a senior from Taiwan; Aleks Golde, a junior from Atlanta; and Riley Quartermain, a freshman from Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Carolina is paired in Friday's first round with Michigan State and Vanderbilt. They are the initial groups going off the first hole beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Second round play is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with Sunday's final round a shotgun start at 8:45 a.m.
Michigan State's Valery Plata was the medalist in 2019 with an 11-under 205 and is in the No. 1 spot in the lineup this weekend for the Spartans.
Five players ranked in Golfstat's top 30 are competing led by No. 18 Melena Barrientos of Clemson and Michigan's Ashley Lau (19) and Hailey Borja (24), Duke's Erica Shepherd (25) and Junkkari (27).
The Tar Heel Invitational began in 1976. UNC has won the event six times – 1976, 1979, 1985, 1991, 1992 and 2012.
Duke is a 16-time winner of the tournament, most recently in 2017 and 2018.
Admission is free. Follow live stats at https://bit.ly/3vdNHV4
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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