NC State women’s golf is set to begin its season Sept. 13-14 at the Cougar Classic. The event, hosted by the College of Charleston, will be played at Yeamans Hall Club in Hanahan, South Carolina.
The opening tournament will be one of four tournaments the Wolfpack competes in during the fall season. This is the first time NC State will compete in fall tournaments since 2019, as it only had a spring season last year due to COVID-19.
The remaining three tournaments on the fall schedule are all in the state of North Carolina. Wake Forest will host the Bryan National Intercollegiate Sept. 26-28 at Bryan Park Golf Club. UNC-Chapel Hill will then host the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational Oct. 15-17 at its on-campus course, Finley Golf Course. The last tournament hosted by UNC-Wilmington will be the Landfall Tradition at the Country Club of Landfall on Oct. 29-31.
NC State will have big shoes to fill this season, as Monika Vicario has graduated and is no longer with the program. She was the top finisher in every tournament a year ago and finished tied for eighth in the ACC Championship.
A candidate to make a big stride forward this season is sophomore Isabel Amezcua. The Mexico native averaged a score of 77.33 in her freshman season, which was second to Vicario. After a year’s experience of college golf, Amezcua should have the experience to be a star for the Wolfpack this season.
Another potential breakout performer for the Wolfpack is junior Natalie Armbruester. She has missed just one event in her two seasons at NC State. Her stroke average was 78.40 a year ago.
Another returning starter is senior Lea Klimentova. She brings three years of college golf experience and will look to be a locker room leader for the younger players.
With two other spots open for stroke play events, opportunities for players who have not had much experience in college golf are present. Redshirt sophomore Ryann Sinclair is primed to see more playing time this year after participating in three tournaments last year, including the ACC Championship.
Junior Inja Fric also brings some playing experience, appearing in two tournaments last year and five as a freshman. Her average score last season was a 79.
As a team, the Wolfpack will be looking to have more success. NC State did not finish better than 10th in any of the stroke play tournaments in the spring.
Despite losing its best golfer from a year ago, NC State returns some exciting talent that will look to get Wolfpack women’s golf back on the right track starting in South Carolina on Sept. 13.
