Wake Forest Primed to Defend Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Title

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 2 Wake Forest women’s golf team will be competing in the 2023 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (DRI) at Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Monday, Feb. 27-Wednesday, March 1.  
 
Reigning Champions
Wake Forest has swept the previous two installments of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, taking home the team and individual titles in 2020 and 2022. The event was not played in 2021 due to the pandemic.
 
In 2020, the Deacs won by an astounding 26 strokes. Then-junior Emilia Migliaccio took home the individual title by one stroke. In 2022, the Deacs won by nine strokes and then-freshman Carolina Chacarra took home the individual title by two strokes.
 
Most recently, the Deacs are coming off back-to-back wins to open their spring season, winning the UCF Challenge in Orlando, Florida, and the Nexus Collegiate in the Bahamas. Wake Forest has yet to finish outside the top two in any tournament during the 2022-23 season and have amassed a total of four team wins already. The current program record for team wins in a season is five, which the Deacs did during the 2021-22 season.
 
The Roster’s Last Time Out
In the win at the Nexus Collegiate two weeks ago, Wake Forest led all teams in scoring on par fours and par fives and led the field in pars (169) and birdies (43).
 
Senior Lauren Walsh recorded her highest collegiate finish at the Nexus Collegiate, coming in second place and one of just two players to finish under par for the event. The winner, Latanna Stone of LSU, finished six under while Walsh shot a one-under 215 for the event. Walsh had the steadiest final round for the Deacs, with just two bogeys and one birdie in addition to her 15 pars.
 
Rachel Kuehn finished in the top six at the Nexus Collegiate, coming in sixth place with a four-over 220. After going four over on her first nine holes of the day, the Asheville native was just one over on her final nine holes. Rounding out the Deacs in the top 10, Mimi Rhodes finished T7 just one stroke behind Kuehn. After making the turn at four over, Rhodes’ final nine holes were highlighted by three birdies in row on holes 13, 14 and 15 to finish her round.
 
Emilia Migliaccio jumped 10 spots…