Junkkari Returns As Women's Golf Plays At Georgia

Friday, March 24

Athens. Ga. (UGA G.C.)

All Day

North Carolina

Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic Day One

Wilmington, NC – Oct 28: NCAA Women's Golf - Landfall Tradition Day 1 at Country Club of Landfall Pete Dye Course in Wilmington, NC on October 28, 2022. (Credit: Andy Mead/YCJ)

Photo by: Andy Mead/YCJ

March 24, 2023 | Women's Golf

By: Steve Kirschner

The University of North Carolina women's golf team competes in the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic Friday through Sunday at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga.

The Tar Heels finished 11^th last week in the MountainView Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz., but set 18-hole school records for fewest total strokes and most strokes under par when they shot 12-under 276 in the third and final round.

All five Tar Heels in the lineup in Arizona shot par or better in the final round, including a pair of 68s by Kayla Smith and Megan Streicher and a 69 by Crista Izuzquiza.

Smith tied for 12^th place at 5-under 211, her 10^th career top-15 finish, while Izuzquiza finished 2-under 214 for her best collegiate result.

Smith, Streicher, Izuzquiza and Vilde Nystrøm all return to the lineup this weekend in Athens and will be joined by senior Krista Junkkari, who missed the start in Arizona due to injury.

Junkkari leads UNC in stroke average this year at 72.40, just four shots ahead of Smith, who averages 72.60.

The Tar Heels are joined in the field by No. 4-ranked (Golfstat) South Carolina, No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 10 Auburn, No. 18 Virginia and No. 20 Florida. Alabama, Arkansas, Charleston, Daytona State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Louisville, Purdue and San Diego State round out the 15 teams.

Carolina is paired with Auburn and Florida in Friday's first round.

Follow the action with live scoring at: https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=25855