Clemson, S.C.—Clemson begins play at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational on Friday at the Finley Golf Course on the University of North Carolina campus. It will be Clemson’s third appearance at the tournament in the last four years, but the first since the fall of 2019.
The tournament will feature 19 teams, including the North Carolina A and B teams. The field includes six ACC teams, four SEC teams and four from the Big Ten. Michigan is the highest ranked team in the field with a #8 ranking according to Golfweek and ninth by Golfstat. Alabama (12), Wake Forest (13) and Duke (14) give the field four of the top 15 teams in the nation according to Golfweek. There are eight top 35 teams in the field.
All 19 teams will play 18 holes a day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week. Clemson players start between 9:30 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. off the 10th tee on Friday. Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Kelley Hester will bring three seniors, one sophomore and a freshman to the tournament that will be played on the par 72 Finley Golf Course that measures 6,393 yards.
Hester has had eight different women in the lineup so far this fall and a ninth, senior Lindsay May will make her season debut this weekend. The native of New York has played in 13 tournaments and 37 rounds in her career. She has played this event twice, including the 2018 tournament when she was Clemson’s third best player with a 223 score.
Ivy Shepherd is another senior with experience on this course. The native of Peachtree City, Ga, finished 11th at the tournament in 2018, and 13th in 2019. Both years she had 54-hole scores of 214. Shepherd has a 72.00 stroke average for her six rounds so far this year, third best on the team.
Callista Rice is a third senior in the lineup this weekend. The native of Mars Hill, NC has a 73.67 stroke average so far this year and is second on the team in birdies with 18.
Melena Barrientos is a freshman from Plano, Texas who has played just one tournament this year, but had a team best sixth-place at the Cougar Classic near Charleston, SC. She has shot under par in all three of her rounds so far this year and has a team best 70.0 average. She is the first Clemson player in history to score under par in each of the first three rounds of her freshman year.
Savannah Grewal, a sophomore from Ontario, Canada, is also playing just her second tournament of the year. She finished a team best 15th at the Mason Rudolph Championship on September 26. She shot par or better each day and finished with a three-under-par score of 213.
This will be Clemson’s fourth appearance at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, its first since the fall of 2019. Clemson’s best finish was a tie for fifth out of 18 teams in 2013. Then freshman Ashlan Ramsey won the tournament with a 207 score, nine under par.
Live scoring will be available on golfstat.com. For Clemson fans in the area wishing to attend the tournament that is free of charge, the course address is 500 Finley Golf Course Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.
