After a seventh-place finish in the NCAA regionals on May 12, the North Carolina women’s golf team earned a spot in this week’s NCAA championships.
The Tar Heels were lead by senior Catherine O’Donnell as she became the third regional champion in program history and the first since 2004. Her total score of seven-under par gave O’Donnell her second tournament win of the season and third of her career.
“Catherine played really solid golf at regionals,” coach Jan Mann said. “She struck the ball well and she’s just a smart player. She’s a very patient player, she knows when to take her chances and when not to.”
O’Donnell was two-over at the turn in her final round at the regionals but strung together a handful of birdies on the back side to finish at two-under on the day.
“I was playing with a girl and we were neck-and-neck the whole day,” O’Donnell said. “I knew that I was playing well and striking the ball well and putting well. So, I knew there were birdies out there on the back nine, and I tried to put myself in good position to make birdies and I did and I made the putts so it all worked out.”
That performance puts momentum on the Tar Heels’ side as they contend for a national title this week at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn. But that’s not all they have going for them.
The Tar Heels are very comfortable with the 6,377-yard, par 72 track as they have seen the course a couple of different times in the past two seasons.
“I feel actually really good (about this course),” O’Donnell said about the Tom Kite and Bob Cupp designed course.
“I think we’ve played ten (rounds) on the course. I think it gives us an advantage because we know where to hit it we know where to miss it to get up and down for par.”
