Melena Barrientos

Overview: Two-year starter, her 73.19 stroke average was fourth on the team in 2022-23, her 73.43 career stroke average is fifth best in Clemson history…has 17 career under-par rounds, fifth best in Clemson history, and 25 rounds at par or better, sixth best in Clemson history…has six career top 10 finishes, including a 10th place at the  2023 Pullman Regional…her six top 10 finishes rank in a tie for third best in Clemson history….Clemson’s top player in terms of scoring average as a freshman in 2021-22 with a 73.70 average…started her career with a pair of top 10 finishes, just the fourth Clemson player to do that…she had under-par rounds in each of her first five rounds as a freshman, the first Clemson player to start her career with five consecutive under-par rounds…ranked in the top 110 players in the nation by Golfstat and Golfweek/Sagarin as a freshman…her career best round is 66 at Ruth’s Chris her freshman year on October 16, 2021…came to Clemson after an outstanding high school and AJGA career in Plano, Texas…ranked #21 junior in the nation by AJGA in her final ranking as a junior in late July, 2021…AJGA listed her as 16^th best overall junior in the United States, ninth best junior in the class of 2021 and third best in class of 2021 from Texas….Golfweek ranked Barrientos 41^st overall, 10^th best in the class  and #1 player in Texas…had four victories in junior golf and many top 10s while playing a national schedule for multiple years…. played in the 2021 Wyndham Cup at Bulls Bay in Awendaw, SC….Wyndham Cup features top 20 players from the East against top 20 from the West.

In 2022-23: Fourth on the team in average score vs. par at +1.56, her stroke average of 73.19 is fourth on the team…started nine of the 12 team events and played in two others as an individual…had seven rounds in the 60s, third on the team, and 13 rounds at par or better, fourth on the team…had 103 birdies to rank second on the team…had three top 10 finishes, including the Pullman Regional where her nine-under par 207 was 10th…only Clemson golfer to post three under-par rounds at the Pullman Regional…her opening round 67 is the second best score by a Clemson golfer at any NCAA postseason Tournament…had season best 16 birdies at the Pullman Regional…finished the year strong, she was also 11th at the ACC Tournament…had a sixth place at the Reynolds Lake as an individual where she had 14 birdies…had a fourth-place finish in the first event of the year, the Cougar Classic, where she had a seven-under-par 206…got her sophomore season off to a great start with three consecutive rounds in the 60s in finishing fourth at the Cougar Classic (68-69-69)…had 15 birdies at that tournament…then had a pair of even-par 70s at Schooner Classic to give her five straight rounds at par or better to open the season…had 73.1 stroke average in opening rounds of tournaments and 73.3 in the final round…had team best 3.06 stroke average on par three holes,  it was tied for 49th best in the nation….had 4.19 average on par fours and 4.86 on par fives…her score counted in 23 of 26 rounds this year and 47 of 53 rounds in her career…had the best score of the round six times and was Clemson’s top player one tournament, the season opener….Clemson’s second best golfer three times….ranked #163 by Golfstat and 176 by Golfweek  for the season…averaged 3.28 under par holes per round, 71st in the nation.

In 2021-22:    Led the Clemson team in scoring average, rounds at par or better, top 10 finishes, wins and birdies…had the best round of the day 13 times, more than any other Tiger…Clemson’s best player at four tournaments…her score counted 24 of  27 rounds…led  team in par four scoring at 4.17… had double figures in birdies in four tournaments…ranked #106 in final Golfstat rankings and #107 according to Golfweek/Sagarin…finished the year with team best 76 birdies and two eagles…had eight under-par rounds to lead the team and 12 total rounds at par or better to pace the squad…played in nine of the 10 tournaments missing only the Mason Rudolph…got her Clemson career off to a great start with sixth-place finish at Cougar Classic and third best at Ruth’s Chris…shot under-par in all three rounds at the Cougar Classic, including second round 68…had second-round 66 (-6) at Ruth’s Chris that was the low round of the year by a Clemson golfer and just one shot off the school record…shot six-under-par 210 at both tournaments…had two bogey-free rounds on the year, only Clemson golfer to do it, the second round 68 at Cougar Classic and second round 66 at Ruth’s Chris…joined Ashlan Ramsey, Sloan Shanahan and Alice Hewson as only players in Clemson history to start her career with consecutive top 10 tournament finishes…started the spring with a 16^th place at the Tulane Classic…finished 20^th at Florida State Matchup and 15^th at Clover Cup, giving her three straight top 20s…led team with finish round 68 at the Clover Cup, a big reason Clemson won the 17-team tournament…finished 10^th at the ACC Tournament (218, +2) and 19^th at the NCAA Regional in Stillwater, Okla….Clemson’s top golfer at ACC Tournament and second best at NCAA Region.

Prior to Clemson:   Won the 2018 Gary Woodland Classic by five shots….In 2020, she had a pair of wins in dominating fashion, the Coca Cola Classic and the GreatLIFE Junior Challenge…..in March of 2021 won the K.J Choi Foundation Texas Junior with a 143 score…had opening round 69…finished second at the 2021 Dye Junior Championship June 6-8 at Crooked Stick near Indianapolis, she had scores of 70-76-74…finished sixth at Diamond Resorts Annika Invitational in January 2021 with a 222 score….finished 16^th at Kathy Whitworth in March 2021…reached Final 16 of match play at the Western Amateur at Park Ridge Country Club in Illinois (July 19-24)…captured the 2020 GreatLIFE Challenge by eight shots with a 207 score after rounds of 70-70-67, then won the 2020 Coca Cola Classic at Sugarloaf by the same margin ….in 2019 she was one of five players to tie for first after 54 holes at the Hunter Mahan Junior Championship before losing in a playoff….. at USGA events, Barrietos and a teammate reached the round of 16 at the US Amateur Four-Ball in Jacksonville, Fla. in 2019 and 2021, she finished in the round of 32 in 2020….. also participated in the 2019 US Junior Amateur…at Plano West High School, Barrientos won four tournaments, two each as a sophomore and a junior….COVID limited play as a senior….she had a career low round of 61 during her junior year…..Plano West Senior High Team was state 6A runner-up each of her last two years.