A season ago, headlines for the North Carolina women’s golf team were frequently ridden with the phrase middle of the pack.
Much to the dismay of Coach Jan Mann and her veteran roster, the Tar Heels started their 2015 campaign right where they left off, in run-of-the-mill fashion, tying for 12th at the Powerade Cougar Classic in Charleston.
The 6,204-yard, par-72 layout at Yeamans Hall proved to be a formidable challenge for UNC, halting the Tar Heel players from any under-par rounds and inflating scores.
Senior Elizabeth Mallett led the Tar Heels as their fifth-seed and was joined by the first-seeded sophomore Bryana Nguyen. Mallett finished 6-over-par for the tournament and Nguyen finished 8-over-par, both safely inside the top-50.
Nguyen finished in last place for UNC a season ago in the Powerade Cougar Classic, carding a score of 19-over-par. Her 11-stroke improvement was the best on the team.
Kelly Whaley, the highly touted freshman, played in her first tournament for UNC and finished with a three-day total of 228 (76, 79 and 73). Whaley is a former Davis Love III AJGA award winner and three-time champion of the Connecticut Women’s Amateur.
Also scoring for UNC were junior Leslie Cloots and sophomore Lexi Harkins, who were both crucial in the Tar Heels' third-place finish this spring in the ACC Championship.
The Tar Heels finished second of the 20 teams at the Powerade Cougar Classic in pars made, but only carded 28 birdies — 22 worse than Georgia.
Rachel Jones traveled as UNC’s individual player for the event. An 85 on the final day of the tournament hurt Jones' impressive 74, 76 start.
