Consolation Matches won by Southern California Women and Georgia Tech Men
ATLANTA, (Nov. 1, 2023) – The Wake Forest women’s golf team and North Carolina men’s golf team claimed the ninth annual East Lake Cup title Wednesday afternoon at Atlanta Athletic Club to close their fall seasons. The No. 2-seeded Demon Deacons, the reigning women’s national champions, edged out No. 1 Stanford 3-2, while second-seeded North Carolina toppled No. 1 Florida State 3-1-1.
The women’s championship match was a back-and-forth affair which came down to the final hole of the week. In the lone match still in action, Wake Forest junior Carolina Lopez-Chacarra carded a par on No. 18 to clinch a 1-up victory over Stanford sophomore Megha Ganne and win the East Lake Cup.
Wake Forest picked up its first point when freshman Macy Pate claimed a 1-up win over Stanford junior Caroline Sturdza. The Cardinal bounced right back with a point from freshman Paula Martín Sampredro over Wake Forest senior Mimi Rhodes, 1-up. In the anchor match, Demon Deacon graduate student Rachel Kuehn took home a 5&4 win over Stanford senior and Monday’s medalist Sadie Englemann. The lone Wednesday match to go to a playoff was won in 21 holes by Stanford sophomore Kelly Xu over sophomore Anne-Steere den Dunnen of Wake Forest which tied the match 2-2 and set the stage for Lopez-Chacarra’s clinching point.
“It’s always wonderful to be victorious,” Wake Forest head coach Kim Lewellen said. “You know, we played against just two really tough competitors, USC and then Stanford, and then to compete with them, to make the matches come down to the last holes… you can’t simulate that. So it’s just wonderful, wonderful practice for them. Again, you can’t simulate it for postseason play.”
North Carolina held off Florida State in the men’s final, 3-1-1 and won the East Lake Cup for the first time in program history. North Carolina graduate student Austin Greaser clinched the East Lake Cup with a birdie on the par-3 17th and a 2&1 win over Florida State senior Gray Albright.
The Tar Heels also earned a point from junior David Ford, who defeated FSU senior Frederik Kjettrup 4&3. In the anchor match, North Carolina senior Peter Fountain never trailed during his 4&3 win over Seminole freshman Tyler Weaver. Florida State’s lone point came in the opening match when senior Brett Roberts notched a 3&2 triumph over Tar Heel grad student Kenan Poole. Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton rallied from a down-5 deficit and tied North Carolina junior Maxwell Ford moments after Greaser’s clinching birdie which brought the final tally to 3-1-1.
“It’s been amazing,” North Carolina head coach Andrew DiBitetto said. “I’ve said it a couple times, but for Golf Channel to put this on, for the East Lake Cup to have us, the East Lake Foundation, the Atlanta Athletic Club, you know, it’s great for the game of college golf, but it’s also great for the young men and women. It’s the match play format, but it’s also the galleries and it’s the TV.
“This is helping them develop… if they want to play professional golf, this is helping them significantly to that path because just the experience and the opportunity, so it’s been amazing.”
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH RESULTS:
Women’s Division:(2) Wake Forest def. (1) Stanford, 3-2-0
Men’s Division:(2) North Carolina def. (1) Florida State, 3-1-1
Women
Stanford (1)vs. Wake Forest (2)
Kelly Xu (21 holes) Anne-Sterre den Dunnen
Caroline Sturdza Macy Pate (1up)
Paula Martín Sampedro (1up) Mimi Rhodes
Megha Ganne Carolina Lopez-Chacarra (1up)
Sadie Englemann Rachel Kuehn (5&4)
Men
Florida State (1)vs. North Carolina (2)
Brett Roberts (3&2) Kenan Poole
Frederik Kjettrup David Ford (4&3)
Luke Clanton (TIE) Maxwell Ford
Gray Albright Austin Greaser (2&1)
Tyler Weaver Peter Fountain (4&3)
CONSOLATION MATCH RESULTS:
Women’s Division: (3) Southern California def. (4) Texas A&M, 3-2-0
Men’s Division: (3) Georgia Tech def. (4) Florida, 2-1-2
In the women’s consolation match, Southern California controlled three of the five pairings to prevail over Texas A&M, 3-2-0. Aggie graduate student Jennie Park gave A&M an early lead with a dominant 9&8 win against USC junior Xin (Cindy) Kou. The Trojans bounced back with a point from junior Amari Avery, 4&3 over Texas A&M senior Zoe Slaughter. Southern Cal senior Brianna Navarrosa added a second point, topping Aggie sophomore Mia Nixon, 3&2. Grad student Blanca Fernández García-Poggio defeated USC freshman Bailey Shoemaker in 1-up fashion to post a second point for A&M. The anchor match was won by Southern California sophomore Catherine Park 4&3 over junior Lana Calibuso-Kwee to notch the team victory for the lady Trojans.
“It’s amazing to be in this tournament; you’re one of the elite programs if you do,” said Southern California head coach Justin Silverstein. “We’re fortunate it’s our fourth time.
“Very pleased with our team. I think we’ve got a lot of good stuff going, good stuff out of this event. Getting match play experience against elite teams is hard to get in the regular season, so that’s why events like this are important.”
Georgia Tech left Atlanta Athletic Club as the men’s consolation match winner with a 2-1-2 victory over reigning national champion Florida.
Georgia Tech and Florida halved the first pairing between Tech fifth-year Bartley Forrester and Florida sophomore Matthew Kress. The next two points went to Yellow Jackets sophomore Hiroshi Tai and senior Christo Lamprecht, who claimed 2&1 and 4&2 victories, respectively. Freshman Carson Kim sealed the consolation match win for Georgia Tech with a tie against sophomore Gator Parker Bell. Red-shirt Freshman Luke Poulter earned the lone point for Florida in the anchor match 2&1 over Tech freshman and Monday’s medalist on the men’s side Kale Fontenot.
“I think they showed up after the disappointment from yesterday,” said Georgia Tech head coach Bruce Heppler. “It was a long day. Had a chance to win that match and play for the title today, but they all kind of geared themselves up as the last day of the fall. I was happy with how everybody played.”
Women
Southern California (3)vs. Texas A&M (4)
Amari Avery (4&3) Zoe Slaughter
Bailey Shoemaker Blanca Fernández García-Poggio (1up)
Brianna Navarrosa (3&2) Mia Nixon
Xin (Cindy) Kou Jennie Park (9&8)
Catherine Park (4&3) Lana Calibuso-Kwee
Men
Georgia Tech (3)vs. Florida (4)
Bartley Forrester (TIE) Matthew Kress
Hiroshi Tai (2&1) Tyler Wilkes
Christo Lamprecht (4&2) Ian Gilligan
Carson Kim (TIE) Parker Bell
Kale Fontenot Luke Poulter (2&1)
*Transcripts of post-round interviews with players and coaches at the 2023 East Lake Cup are available .*
*Approved images of the individual stroke play winners of the 2023 East Lake Cup are available via this .*
The East Lake Cup is contested over three days, following the format from the final three days of the NCAA men’s and women’s golf national championships. Monday features an individual stroke play competition to determine induvial champions and seed the two days of match-play competition. The final two days of the East Lake Cup include two match-play tournaments hosted simultaneously for the men’s and women’s divisions, with the semifinals taking place on Tuesday and the finals and consolation matches on Wednesday.
The East Lake Cup has been held at East Lake Golf Club since its inception in 2015. Due to current renovations taking place at East Lake Golf Club, this year’s tournament is being contested at historic Atlanta Athletic Club, located just north of Atlanta in Johns Creek, Georgia, on its championship Highlands Course. The East Lake Cup will return to East Lake Golf Club in 2024.
The East Lake Cup benefits the East Lake Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to helping families build better lives and children reach their highest potential through its holistic approach to community revitalization incorporating mixed-income housing, cradle-to-college education and community wellness. The East Lake Cup is one of the largest contributors to the East Lake Foundation, having raised more than $1.5 million for the East Lake Foundation since the tournament’s inception in 2015. ZipRecuriter is the presenting sponsor of the East Lake Cup, with Bridgestone Golf, and The Home Depot serving as additional sponsors.