UNC women's golf places 14th in Landfall Tradition

The North Carolina women’s golf team started the weekend with promise in the Landfall Tradition, but the team had to settle with a 14th place finish after a poor showing on Sunday afternoon.

What happened?

The Tar Heels started off the weekend by scoring a 300 (+12) on Friday, with strong performances by senior Leslie Cloots and junior Bryana Nguyen — who tallied scores of 73 (+1) and 72 (E), respectively.for the pluses and minuses

Nguyen shot six strokes worse on Saturday, but Cloots posted the lowest individual round score for the Tar Heels with a 70 (-2). The team improved on its Friday performance with a 297 (+9) for the day.pluses minuses: http://bit.ly/2f3o5D5

But the Tar Heels faltered on Sunday, earning a score of 308 (+20) to fall to 14th place out of 18 teams in the tournament.plus minus: http://bit.ly/2eSf3IC

Who stood out?

North Carolina faced a strong competitive field throughout the weekend, but individual members found success despite the struggles UNC would encounter near the end of the tournament.

Junior Lexi Harkins recorded 40 pars for the Tar Heels, which helped the team remain in contention throughout most of the tournament. Nguyen and first-year Brynn Walker both recorded seven birdies each, but the team only totaled 22 for the entire tournament — the third-worst showing among the field.

When was it decided?

The strong showings exhibited by the Tar Heels on Friday and Saturday did not carry over into Sunday. The team struggled throughout the day and finished the tournament with a cumulative score of 905 — 46 strokes behind Landfall Tradition co-champions Wake Forest and South Carolina.

Sophomore Kelly Whaley recorded the best individual score for the Tar Heels on Sunday with a 76 (+4), but she still finished in a four-way tie for 84th overall. Cloots placed the highest among North Carolina’s golfers in a tie for 25th with a score of 221 (+5) — 14 strokes behind the score of the tournament’s individual champion, Wake Forest sophomore Jennifer Kupcho.

Why does it matter?

North Carolina hoped to finish October on a high note after finishing first at the Cougar Classic to begin the month and placing in the middle of the pack at home in the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational.

Though the team did not get the result it was looking for in Wilmington, Head Coach Jan Mann has applauded the team’s tenacity and talent in past tournaments. The Tar Heels have to focus on their strengths and correct mistakes as they prepare for the road to the postseason in 2017.

When do they play next?

North Carolina will have a four-month break before traveling to St. Lucie, Florida, to participate in the Central District Invitational on Feb. 20-21.

@BrandonWhite95  

sports@dailytarheel.com