North Carolina’s women’s golf team, the Tar Heels, is set to compete as the No. 4 seed in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship from April 16-19 at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, NC. They are currently ranked 12th nationally according to the NCAA’s Scoreboard/Clippd rankings and 11th in the Mizuno WGCA poll.
The ACC Championship includes three rounds of stroke play, which will determine the individual champion and seed the top six teams for the match play rounds. Starting on April 16, the 15 participating teams will complete 36 holes of stroke play followed by an additional round on April 17.
After these rounds, the top six teams will advance to match play. The quarterfinal matches are scheduled for April 18 at 7:30 a.m., with the top teams in action. The championship match will take place on April 19 at 9 a.m.
The tournament features some prominent teams, including:
- No. 1 Stanford (1)
- No. 2 Wake Forest (9)
- No. 3 Duke (11)
- No. 4 UNC (12)
- No. 5 Florida State (17)
Earlier this season, the Tar Heels have demonstrated strong performance, finishing in the top four in seven out of nine tournaments. They have achieved notable wins at both the Landfall Tradition in October and the Chevron Collegiate in February.
The team is led by three players on track to break UNC’s single-season scoring record:
- Megan Streicher, a senior from Cape Town, South Africa, who set the record last year with an average of 71.83 is currently shooting an impressive 70.90.
- Reagan Southerland, a junior from Atlanta, averages 71.26.
- Helen Yeung, a sophomore from Clarksville, Maryland, is also close with an average of 71.77.
They will compete alongside Marie Prats-Rigual, a sophomore from Perpignan, France, averaging 71.96, and Ing Iadpluem, a junior from Thailand, with an average of 72.61.
These players bring valuable experience from the previous year’s ACC Championship, where the Tar Heels secured fifth place in stroke play and advanced to the quarterfinals in match play.
Inez Ng, a senior from Singapore, will serve as the alternate for the team.
Looking ahead, the ACC Championship is vital as it’s the final tournament before Carolina hosts one of six NCAA regionals on May 11-13 at UNC Finley Golf Club. This tournament not only showcases the team’s skill but also sets the stage for future competitions.
As we follow the competition, it’s worth noting that women’s collegiate golf is experiencing significant growth in popularity, with viewership on the rise. According to a recent survey, interest in women’s sports has grown by 21% over the last five years, reflecting a broader trend of increased investment and support for women athletes.
For updates and insights, you can check the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship for more information.
