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Second-ranked Wake Forest has its first NCAA championship in women’s golf.
The Demon Deacons beat fifth-ranked Southern Cal on Wednesday night in the championship match 3-1 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The national championship is the fourth in golf in school history. The men’s program won the national championship in 1974, ’75 and ’86 under legendary Coach Jesse Haddock.
Coach Kim Lewellen of the Wake Forest women’s program now has her first national championship thanks to a veteran team that had the best regular-season in school history.
The national championship was the 10th in school history.
Emilia Migliaccio, who returned for her final season after already graduating, seniors Rachel Kuehn and Lauren Walsh all won their matches. Walsh’s two putt on her final hole secured the championship as she clinched her match.
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.@WakeWGolf has won the 2023 National Championship! 🏆 #NCAAGolf pic.twitter.com/vLRu2ndaKO
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 25, 2023
Mimi Rhodes was two up on her match with two holes to go but after Walsh won her match the championship was clinched.
Lewellen, who has been at Wake Forest since the 2018-19 season after replacing the legendary Dianne Dailey, was in the championship match with the Demon Deacons in her first season. But Duke won the championship match with the lone player from that team that is still around being Migliaccio.
Kuehn, the two-time ACC player of the year, won two titles this past season.
After finishing third in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championship, the Demon Deacons defeated Florida State in the quarterfinals, 3.5-1.5, and Texas A&M in the semifinals, 4-1, to earn a spot in the championship against Southern Cal.
The Demon Deacons controlled the match early taking the lead in at least four matches midway through the 18 holes.