Entire Lineup from NCAA Women’s Golf Championship Run Returns to Kentucky for 2026-27
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The five players who were essential to the University of Kentucky women’s golf team’s exciting finish at the NCAA Regional and better-than-seeded finish at the NCAA Championship have all announced their return to the program for 2026-27, it was announced by head coach Golda Borst on Tuesday.
That lineup, which included three sophomores in C.A. Carter, Karlie Campbell and Raleygh Simpson and two juniors in Cathryn Brown and Samantha Paradise, who all will return as upperclassmen next season, had a run-for-the-roses inspired finish at their NCAA Regional to advance to the NCAA Championship. That fivesome finished better than seeded – in dramatic fashion – at both postseason tournaments.
Meanwhile, it was a lineup in which four-of-the-five players had never competed at even regionals before much less the championship.*
Even more impressive, that lineup had never been used prior to taking the golf course together at regionals and it took them to the program’s second championship since the turn of the millennium.
Carter, Campbell, Simpson and Brown were regulars in the lineup throughout the season, while Paradise, who transferred in from Daytona State College last summer, joined the lineup just prior to regionals.
Of that “core four” who participated in lineups throughout the season, they each:
- …improved their stroke averages from last season to this season.
- …led the team in at least one tournament throughout the season.
- …had a career-best, 18-hole round during the season.
- …shot at least a 4-under in at least one round this season.
- …earned at least two top-10 individual finishes this season.
In all, the team collected one team tournament title, six team top-three finishes, three individual tournament titles and set the fourth-best, all-time stroke average in program history (291.1) in 2025-26.
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*Cathryn Brown competed in regionals as a freshman in 2024-25.
