The NC State men’s and women’s golf teams will compete in their final tournaments of the fall this weekend as the men travel to Greensboro for the UNC-Greensboro Grandover Intercollegiate while the women are slated to head to Wilmington for the Landfall Tradition.
The men will look to ride their hot streak after placing first in the Wolfpack Intercollegiate at the home course of Lonnie Poole and a first-place finish in the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Iowa.
In the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, NC State edged rival UNC-Chapel Hill by two strokes to take home the top spot out of 14 teams. Junior Stephen Franken led the Wolfpack individually by shooting 201 (-15) and topping the second-place finisher by a healthy eight strokes. In the Golfweek Conference Challenge, the Pack defeated host Iowa by two strokes as well after being led by sophomore Benjamin Shipp, who shot a 206 (-10) to finish first individually.
The Wolfpack is certainly capable of continuing its performance in Greensboro if Shipp and Franken continue their excellent performances. Shipp finished tied for 25th at the Wolfpack Intercollegiate, but has shown he is capable of finishing at the top of the field. Junior Nolan Mills also turned in a solid performance at Lonnie Poole, shooting 215 in three rounds and finishing tied for 13th.
The Grandover Intercollegiate tournament will commence Saturday and finish Sunday.
On the women’s side, the Pack will head to Wilmington for the Landfall Tradition, one of the top women’s tournaments of the year for its final tournament of the season.
The Pack is coming off a seventh-place finish out of 18 teams in Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational. Junior Laura Kowohl finished tied for 13th at 211 (-5), the Pack’s best score. Crystal Huang finished at 217 (+1) while India Clyburn checked in at 219 (+3).
State will certainly look for Kowohl to continue her solid performance while hoping for stellar showings from Clyburn and Huang.
While a seventh-place finish is nothing to scoff at, the Pack is capable of taking home the top place in the Landfall Tradition, as evidenced by a first place finish in its season-opening tournament in Charleston.
State will need to best defending Landfall champion South Carolina to take home first place. ACC foes Clemson, Duke, Notre Dame and Virginia will also be participating.
The tournament will take place from Friday to Sunday in Wilmington. The Pack will resume play in February at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic when both the men’s and women’s teams travel to Puerto Rico.
