Ole Miss Women's Golf

Ole Miss Women’s Golf Team Continues to Play Well Through Adversity

OXFORD, Miss - Over the course of the season the Rebels have have managed to play phenomenal golf despite the adversity they have had to overcome this season.

The Ole Miss women’s golf team is led by head coach Kory Henkes and assistant coach Zack Byrd.

The highlight of the rebel’s season was when they managed to tie for first at the Valspar Augusta Invitational at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia back on March 12-13.

Andrea Lignell and Chiara Tamburlini are both ranked inside the top 100 in the latest Golfweek NCAA individual rankings. Lignell and Tamburlini have been a dynamic duo this season for the rebels as they have finished tied 15th or better in almost every tournament that they have played in.

“I think the coolest part is watching what Chiara and Andrea have done this year, and they have kind of grabbed this team and thrown them on their backs carrying this team to the postseason,” Byrd said.

“I think Chiara and Andrea coming out of their shells and being leaders, it's incredible, Byrd said. They've really grown so much this year.”

Lignell and Tamburlini and Julia Johnson are like a 1,2,3 punch for this program when they are firing on all cylinders. All three ladies have a have a top 5 finish on the year and hope to get hot as they head into postseason play.

Lignell finished tied for 2nd at the East Lake Cup, Tamburlini finished 4th at the Valspar Augusta Invitational, and Julia Johnson won the ANNIKA Intercollegiate in the rebels first tournament of the year back in the fall.

On the downside, one of their top players, Ellen Hume, had to put her golf career on hold earlier in the year to have season ending surgery, but Byrd hopes that they can get her a medical redshirt because she did not play enough tournaments to count this year as a year of eligibility used.

“When she's gone it definitely takes a lot of the fire out of the team,” Byrd said. She's so funny and she is the best teammate in the world.”

Byrd said Hume is the emotional sparkplug on this team and has been around the team every minute that she can.

“Two days out of surgery and she was on the putting green with the girls just standing out there with her sling trying to keep practice lite, even though she was not able to do anything in practice,” Byrd said.

Byrd, says he believes after all the adversity the program has had to fight through from issues like COVID, season-ending injuries, and short-term injuries that this team still has a chance to do something special because of the comradery that the girls have.

“It's why they won everything last year, but it's a big reason why this team still has a chance to be good with everything that's happened,” Byrd said. “I think that's the cool part of what Kory and I have focused so hard on is getting this to be the closest-knit team in the country and that's where you win and that's how you win.”

This team has faced every obstacle possible and every time they must face a new challenge it only brings them closer together.

The Rebels recently added one of the top golfers in the country after Isabella Fierro entered the transfer portal. Before she announced her commitment to play for Kory Henkes at Ole Miss, Fierro played for Oklahoma State University.

Byrd compares Fierro to Ole Miss golf alum Kennedy Swan who was a part of the National Championship team in 2021.

“She's got a lot of fire, which is kind of what Kennedy brought last year,” Byrd said. “They kind of have similar games they are about same size, and both hit it a long way.”

Byrd and Henkes are very familiar with her game, and they saw it up close when Ole Miss competed against Fierro last May for the National Championship.

“Isabel has always been a person that I've admired I love for fire I love her grit I have watched her play a lot,” Byrd said.

Fierro is a veteran who is coming in with great talent and experience who can make a difference right away for the Rebels.

“It's basically everything you hope and pray for when you're looking in the portal so to get her was huge and we're super excited,” Byrd said. She fits in great with the girls her and Chiara very close already.”

There is great upside for this team as they take a glimpse ahead to look at next season as the Rebels will get Ellen Hume back from a season ending injury which was a huge loss for them this year and they are adding to freshman to the roster.

The Rebels just wrapped up their regular season at the Auburn Invitational at Saugahatchee Country Club on Monday. Maddie May, Ellen-Hutchinson Kay, and McKinley Cuningham all finished inside the top 20 in the field.

Freshman, Maddie May, recorded her best finish of the year in her freshman season firing a 70(-2).

The Ole Miss women’s golf team is currently ranked 24th in the nation and 9th in the conference along with the number 1 strength of schedule across the country.

“What people don't understand is, women's golf in the SEC is stronger than football is in the SEC, and we have had a pretty good year, even on a down year,” he said. So, you know, I think we are close to playing good golf, and we are looking forward to getting down to Birmingham in a couple of weeks and trying to get the SEC Championship kicked off in a good manner.

The Rebels will travel to Birmingham, Alabama, and tee it up at Greystone Golf Club for the SEC Championship April 13-17.