UNC women's golf finishes third at Ruth's Chris Invitational

The UNC women’s golf team finished third at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational that took place over the past two days at the Governor's Club in Chapel Hill.

What happened?

The Tar Heels played in a peak-and-valley fashion the entire tournament. After UNC started off with a five-over-par first round, the team was tied for fifth place with UNC Wilmington, six strokes behind Duke in first place. Early into play first-year Megan Streicher looked strong, as she was one of the only UNC players to shoot under par. 

It wasn’t a position that the team could not bounce back from, but they needed a great second round to do so. However, an unexpected storm put a temporary halt to the team’s plans, and the second round was forced to suspend during an excellent performance from senior Kayla Smith.

Smith was four-under-par when the game ceased, with five birdies. She returned the next day to finish the round tied for fourth place, with Wake Forest senior Lauren Walsh tying her four-under-par score by earning one less stroke in round one and one more stroke in round two than Smith. The Tar Heels took full advantage even with the delay, playing their best round of the tournament.

While UNC was in third place headed into round three, the team unfortunately could not take advantage of their chances to move up the leaderboard. In fact, round three was UNC’s worst round with a 300-stroke finish. The Tar Heels hung onto their spot thanks to their second round score, but only one UNC player ended at par in the third round. 

Who stood out?

Smith ended the two days as the only player who placed in the top ten individually, tying for eighth place with a total score of four-over-par in 216 strokes. Her best round was round two, finishing at 68 strokes and four-under-par. She's had a great final season at UNC, being one of three players to win her individual match last tournament.

Streichner, the other standout, also won her match last tournament and finished in a tie for 12th place. She did the best out of the team in round one with a one-under-par 71 stroke finish. She also helped contribute to the team’s best round with a two-under-par score of 70 in round two. 

When was it decided?

The Tar Heels had a slow ascent throughout the game, but the growth was not consistent. Their second round indicated a potential upward growth, but their third round solidified their final position. They had to play an even better round three in order to overtake Wake Forest or Kentucky, but struggled in their pursuit. UNC was unable to overtake either team, as both had also played better in rounds one and two. 

Why does it matter?

While they did not reach the heights of their first-place finish at last week's Ivy Intercollegiate tournament, this performance was still solid for the upstart program. Additionally, there is another layer of pressure when playing a hometown tournament, so this was important for the team’s morale as they come to the end of this semester’s tournament run. 

When do they play next?

The Tar Heels will head to Wilmington N.C. next to play in the Landfall Tradition tournament on Dye Course starting Oct. 28. 

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