The headcovers are off and the balls are on the tee as college golf officially returns this month.
As colleges and universities across the country are welcoming their student-athletes back to campus, most of the nation’s attention will be fixated on the preseason All-Americans and ANNIKA Award Watch List, but there are more than a few new faces in the college game that will be contributing immediately for their teams.
Highlighted by a two-time USGA champion and the reigning R&A Girls Amateur champion, these are the newcomers to college golf that fans may want to keep an eye on this season.
College golf: Women’s preseason top 30 | Top men’s newcomers
The Blue Devils bring in a pair of solid Northeastern natives with plenty of tournament experience.
Duke freshmen Sophia Bae and Rylie Heflin (Duke Athletics)
The Missouri native arrives up north off a top 10 at the Girls Junior PGA, a third-place at the Polo Golf Junior Classic and a top 20 at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.
The quiet Californian’s coming-out party was at the 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, when she finished T5 after a final-round 72 at Augusta National.
Zoe Campos of the United States plays her tee shot on the No. 1 hole during the first round of the August National Women’s Amateur at the Champions Retreat. Mandatory Credit: Chris Trotman/Augusta National/Handout Photo via USA TODAY Sports
The Scotswoman arrives in South Carolina fresh off a turn on the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup. The reigning R&A Girls Amateur champion has a chance to make an immediate impact at South Carolina after a slew of seniors, plus former world No. 1 Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, departed after last season.
Great Britain and Ireland Team members Annabel Fuller and Hannah Darling chat on the second hole green during the Four-Ball match against the USA Team at the 2021 Curtis Cup at Conwy Golf Club in North Wales, United Kingdom on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Oisin Keniry/USGA)
Kou brings in one of the best junior-golf resumes from the Class of 2021 as she starts her freshman season with the Trojans. Has spent time as Golfweek’s top-ranked junior and graduates from the AJGA with 11 victories to her name. Expect her to thrive at USC – and she’ll be needed right away as the Trojans try to replace some big departures.
Cindy Kou raises her trophy at the 2020 AJGA Girls Invitational at Stanford.
A former top-ranked player in the Golfweek Junior Ranking, Park qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open over the summer and most recently, was third in the Women’s Texas Amateur.
Highlights of the summer were top-20 finishes in the Southwestern Amateur and Dye Junior Invitational. Yet another player who has an opportunity to make an impact after Arizona State looks to fill the shoes of Olivia Mehaffey and Linn Grant.
The North Carolina native’s junior-golf swan song came in the form of the AJGA Rolex Girls Junior title. Sambach also played in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur and made it to the Round of 16 at the North & South Women’s Amateur this summer. She’s a past North & South Girls’ Junior champ, too.
Amanda Sambach, an outgoing AJGA player representative, helped host the Greatest Night in Junior Golf. (AJGA photo)
Schuster racked up several wins in her junior career, even winning the Dixie Women’s Amateur and Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle back-to-back a year ago. Brings considerable tournament experience into the fall after a full slate of summer competition including the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Girls Junior PGA, Women’s Western Amateur, North & South Women’s Amateur and Donna Andrews Invitational.
Katherine Schuster plays a shot at Long Bow Golf Club. (Photo submitted)
Finally, Rose Zhang arrives at the next frontier: college golf. With two USGA titles under her belt (the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior) plus a handful of AJGA invitationals and starts in LPGA majors, there’s every reason to expect Zhang will make an immediate impact.
USA Team member Rose Zhang hits her tee shot from hole six during play at the 2021 Curtis Cup at Conwy Golf Club in North Wales, United Kingdom on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Oisin Keniry/USGA)
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