After concluding the regular season with a 10th-place finish in the Bryan National Collegiate on April 3, the North Carolina women’s golf team hoped to claim the ACC Championship in Greensboro this weekend.
The Tar Heels would have to outplay a field that consisted of nine ranked teams — including Duke, Florida State and defending champion Virginia.
The Sedgefield Country Club yielded mixed results for UNC, as strong rounds on Friday and Sunday and a weak performance on Saturday led to a 20-over-par 884. The score was good enough for a fourth-place finish, as the Cavaliers repeated as champions with a 9-under-par 855.
No school scored under par on par-3 or par-4 holes, but the Tar Heels remained competitive by placing fifth in birdies and by scoring the most eagles of any team in the tournament with three.
Junior Leslie Cloots led the way for the Tar Heels on the weekend. Starting with a 3-over-par 75 on Friday, Cloots gradually improved her game to finish 4-under-par on Sunday — which propelled her to a three-way tie for fifth place with an even-par 216.
Cloots carded the lowest scores among her teammates on both par-4 and par-5 holes, while first-year Kelly Whaley was the most consistent Tar Heel on par-3 holes. Both Cloots and Whaley led the Tar Heels in birdies with nine, while sophomore Lexi Harkins joined the two in scoring an eagle for UNC.
UVA senior Lauren Coughlin had the best average on par-4 and par-5 holes and added 16 birdies to contribute to her school’s blowout win. Coughlin could not match or improve her score of 66 on Friday, but she held off the rest of the field to win the individual title.
Coach Jan Mann said the team faced numerous challenges this weekend, with the most significant being the Sedgefield Country Club — a course used by the PGA Tour for the Wyndham Championship.
But Mann admired her team’s ability to overcome adversity and believes that will be a key factor in how the Tar Heels play for the rest of the postseason.
