University of North Carolina Athletics
Neff's Contract Extended To Lead Women's Golf Program
July 15, 2024 | Women's Golf
Aimee Neff, head women's golf coach at the University of North Carolina, has received a three-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season.
"Aimee has our women's golf program on a great trajectory both competitively and in the classroom," says UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. "Three straight years of participating in the postseason, improved play in a nationally-competitive ACC, a return to the NCAA Championship and exemplary academic achievement are all outstanding indicators of a program on the rise. We look forward to watching this program continue to achieve under her leadership."
The 2023-24 season was a memorable one for the Tar Heels, who won three tournaments, advanced to match play in the ACC Championship and qualified out of the Auburn Regional to compete in the NCAA Championship. Women's golf also had the highest grade point average among all 28 UNC teams in the spring semester and placed all five starters on the Academic All-ACC team and the GCAA's All-American Scholars.
Carolina, which played with three and sometimes four freshmen and sophomores in the lineup, won the inaugural St Andrews Links Collegiate at the Jubilee and The Old Course, defeating Vanderbilt, 4-2, in medal match play to win the team title. The Tar Heels also won the UCF Challenge and swept three matches to claim the NC State Match Play Invitational. UNC finished third at Auburn, qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2017.
It was the first time Carolina won three tournaments in a season since 2012-13.
Fifth-year senior Kayla Smith was medalist at St Andrews, made the cut to play all four rounds in the NCAA Championship and concluded her career with three of the five-lowest single-season scoring averages and the second-best career average in UNC history.
Sophomore Megan Streicher earned All-ACC honors, broke the single-season scoring record at 71.83 strokes per round and moved into the No. 1 position in career scoring by a Tar Heel.
"I'm deeply grateful to Bubba and the Board of Trustees for their belief in and support of Carolina women's golf," says Neff. "It's an honor to work each day with (assistant coach) Katherine Hamski to lead this exceptional program. I am excited to build upon our achievements over the past few years and eagerly anticipate a bright future ahead. Our student-athletes are fantastic people and I cherish the opportunity to lead them.
"We are fortunate to have an outstanding support staff and academic resources and access to a championship-level course and training facility. These resources will continue to propel us towards our goals of competing for ACC championships and national championships."
Other highlights from Neff's three seasons as head coach include:
• Streicher, Smith and Krista Junkkari established three of the five-best career stroke averages in UNC history;
• Streicher, Smith and Junkkari set the five best and seven of the top 10 single-season averages in Carolina history;
• Streicher (64), Smith (65) and Junkkari (65) each set UNC's 18-hole scoring record;
• five of the 12-best individual rounds in UNC history have been produced in the last three seasons by four different Tar Heels;
• seven of the 12-lowest team rounds in UNC history were shot in the last three seasons;
• Smith and Junkkari won individual titles in 2022-23, the first time two Tar Heels were medalists in the same season since 2003-04;
• Carolina won the 2022 Ivy Intercollegiate at Baltusrol Golf Club, UNC's first team championship in five seasons;
• UNC set its 18-hole scoring record twice in 2022-23, firing 12-under-par 276s in the final rounds in the MountainView Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz., and the NCAA Pullman (Wash.) Regional. The latter was the lowest postseason round ever by the Tar Heels;
• Streicher averaged 73.33 in 2022-23, the lowest ever by a Tar Heel freshman;
• the Tar Heels have a 7-2 record in the NC State Match Play, advancing to the finals all three seasons, winning the tournament in 2024.
Players Mentioned
