Miami Hurricanes golf looked to get their season started on the right track in Charleston, South Carolina, as they took on the Cougar Invitational. The team finished 14th, taking home a few solid performances from the weekend.
Miami’s best individual performance came from Flagler transfer Stella Jelinek. The senior, after opening rough with a four-over-par first round, shot one-under and two-under in her next two rounds to end the weekend just one over par. Jelinek was particularly strong on par holes, where she was tied for the fifth-best average in a competition featuring over 90 players.
Four other Hurricanes from Miami participated in the event, with a range of results. Junior Rebekah Gardner placed 42nd at four-over and had a really strong first round going two-under par. Gardner ranked in the top-10 on par five holes, She was followed by Baylor transfer junior Ashleen Kaur, who finished 52nd at six-over; sophomore Cloe Amion Villarino shot a two-over 73 in the final round to finish 75th at 11-over, and senior Katie Carman finished 96th at 29-over.
Coming off a season where they finished 53rd in the nation at the end of the year, Miami hoped to compete in a tournament where they were surrounded by the top talent they were looking to surpass. Though this weekend wasn’t a big statement, it’s a start that Miami can build on moving forward. Their next action is the Golfweek Red Sky Classic in Colorado from September 22 to 24.