Karlie Campbell Leads Kentucky at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team concluded its time at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational in seventh place in the loaded field, which had seven teams ranked or receiving votes in the Women’s Golf Coaches Association. The Wildcats assembled rounds of 290, 288 and 297 for a 35-over tournament total at Finley Golf Club (par 70, 6,095 yards) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Karlie Campbell, a sophomore from Ethridge, Tennessee, paced the lineup after the first round and again after the final round. It marked the third different top finisher for the team this season, a sign of depth in the young lineup.
She put together scores of 70 (E), 73 (+3) and 74 (+4) to combine for a 7-over-par 217, landing in a share of 21st place in her second appearance at the Ruth’s Chris. She shed six strokes off her tournament total last season and finished more than 20 spots better on the individual leaderboard.
In the final round, Campbell collected four bogeys, one double on the par-4 No. 10, a hole she also shot over on yesterday, and two birdies to go 4-over. With that 4-over, she improved her streak of six straight rounds contributed to the team total, which is the second-best active streak on the team in 2025-26.
Campbell now has two finishes inside the top 25 this season, making four for her college career.
Cathryn Brown finished just a shot behind Campbell on an 8-over-par 218 for T26.
The lone upperclassman in the young lineup earned the team’s only round under par yesterday (-1), helping her pace the team and rank in the top 15 going into today. The junior didn’t get off to a hot start in the final round though, recording a triple, a bogey and a double back-to-back-to-back on Nos. 5-7. She did knock down three birdies on the back nine but paired those with another triple on the par-4 No. 16.
She concluded the final round on a 6-over Sunday, while she still improved her streak of 12 straight rounds contributed to the team total.
A pair of sophomores, Anastasia Hekkonen and C.A. Carter, both submitted 13-over tournament totals at the Ruth’s Chris, earning a share of 43rd place. Hekkonen matched her 74 (+4) in the first round in the final round, scattering five bogeys, one double and a trio of birdies across her scorecard Sunday. Carter ran into some trouble on the track today, going 9-over on her last 18 holes.
Raleygh Simpson, another sophomore, got off to a strong start in the final round, rolling in birdie after birdie after birdie through the first eight holes. She made the turn 1-under before finding a couple more bogeys and a double on the back nine. She came out just 3-over Sunday, her best score of the event by at least five strokes. Altogether, she went 19-over for T63 at the Ruth’s Chris.
The Wildcats will compete next at The Landfall Tradition at the Landfall Country Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, from Oct. 24-26.
Scorecard
T21 Karlie Campbell 70, 73, 74 … 217 (+7)
T26 Cathryn Brown 73, 69, 76 … 218 (+8)
T43 Anastasia Hekkonen 74, 75, 74 … 223 (+13)
T43 C.A. Carter 73, 71, 79 … 223 (+13)
T63 Raleygh Simpson 78, 78, 73 … 229 (+19)
7 KENTUCKY 290, 288, 297 … 875 (+35)
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