Carolina junior Kayla Smith played a key role in the improvement of the women’s golf team this past season. The Burlington, N.C., native was named to the 2022 All-Atlantic Coast Conference women’s golf team and ended the season with the second-best stroke average on the team.
This was the UNC’s first season under head coach Aimee Neff, to whom Smith credits the team’s progress between last season to this one. Smith tees off Thursday in the Carolina Golf Classic presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina at Kinston Country Club.
“I think just the whole new atmosphere she created was encouraging to me as well as the other girls for sure,” Smith said. “We just loved being there and loved playing for her, so I’m excited to see where it goes for the next couple years.
“She made it clear that she is here for us and that she is not only here to help us succeed but the program as well. It helped us feel like we had more autonomy for our decisions and what we wanted to do overall which was beneficial for the entire team.”
As it has been the case for many student-athletes, this was Smith’s first full competitive year with the team due to the pandemic.
“Freshman year we only got to play the fall. Sophomore year we only really got to play the spring, so I think having a full year under my belt really helped me,” she said. “Covid didn’t help my desire to play a lot, so (Neff) encouraged me to continue playing. Coach has been a huge benefactor for me and helping me re-love the game”
The 2022 season marked the first time that Smith had experience playing in an NCAA regional, where she tied for 11th in the individual standings and led the Tar Heels to a seventh-place finish.
When looking to the future of the women’s golf team and its incoming players, Smith had nothing but positive remarks about the team.
“We have three incoming freshmen,” she said. “From what I’ve heard they are pretty good, so I think they have a pretty good chance of competing for spots in the lineup. Our team is capable of putting together four solid scores and I think the freshmen will certainly help with that. With us having the right mindset and putting everything together, I think we can have a great season and make it to the national championships.”
When asked about the possibility of taking a fifth year, Smith made it very…
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