On Tuesday, the North Carolina women’s golf team placed ninth of 17 teams in the three-round Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C. to begin its season. First-year Krista Junkkari led the Tar Heels with a 3-under-par showing.
What happened?
Due to weather, the Tar Heels played both the first and second round of the event on Monday.
The first round saw sophomore Jennifer Zhou post a 3-under-par 69. Junkkari excelled as well, as she shot a 70 and sunk three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine. Sophomore Nicole Lu sunk four birdies and finished with a 71, while both senior Brynn Walker and junior Ava Bergner posted scores of 74 in the first round.
In the second round, Junkkari, who earned three birdies on the front nine, and Walker, who sunk four birdies total, both posted scores of 71, one under par. These were the two best performances from North Carolina in the second round. Bergner shot a 74 in the second round, while Zhou recorded a 75 and Lu an 81.
The Tar Heels’ score totaled 575 between the two rounds, good for a one-under-par performance. Junkkari, sitting at 3-under-par, led the team and was tied for eighth place of all competitors going into the final round, while UNC as a whole was tied for fifth.
North Carolina played the third round on Tuesday, shooting a collective 292 to place ninth. Junkkari and Lu lead the team with scores of 72 each, while Zhou and Bergner both shot 74 and Walker finished with 80.
Who stood out?
Junkkari excelled in her first collegiate competition as she shot 70, 71 and an even-par 72 in her three rounds.