JosephineChang

Career Stats Breakdown

2020-21 (Fifth-Year Senior): Did not compete in an event in 2020-21 … Finished Kentucky career with a 76.9 stroke average, two top-10 finishes and four top-20 performances … Graduated summa cum laude with degrees in kinesiology and biology … SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member … Dean’s List in fall 2020, spring 2021.

2019-20 (Senior): Posted a 77.0 stroke average in two events in the shortened season with one top-20 showing … Playing as an individual, tied for 58th place at the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington with a score of 17-over par … In contention at the MSU Greenbrier Invitational for much of the tournament and finished in 11th place at 13-over par at the Greenbrier Golf & Country Club in Lexington … SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member … Dean’s List in fall 2019, spring 2020 … Inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character, which honors Wildcats who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model.

2018-19 (Junior): Appeared in nine events in 2018-19 with a 76.4 stroke average … Posted 54-hole and 18-hole career lows … Placed 89th at the Clemson Invitational at Lake Keowee with a score of 12-over par (79-77) at the Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, South Carolina … Enjoyed the best tournament of her career at the Colonel Classic in Richmond, Kentucky with a career-best tied-for-second finish … Recorded the best 54-hole round of her career at the University Club at Arlington with an even-par 216 (73-67-76), including a career-low 18-hole score of 67 in the second round to take the lead entering the final round … Tied for 55th place competing as an individual with a score of 19-over par at the Clover Cup at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona … Competing as an individual, tied for 76th with a score of 24-over par at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Collegiate Championship in Greensboro, Georgia … Dropped a heartbreaker to Louisville’s Olivia Cason 1 up on the 19th hole in the match-play Battle of the Bluegrass at Hoover Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama … Appeared in all four events for the Wildcats in the fall and averaged 75.8 strokes per round, on pace for her best season yet … Contributed all three rounds at the Trinity Forest Invitational at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas with a 47th-place finish and 54-hole score of 232 (78-77-77) … Played a key part in Kentucky’s Bettie Lou Evans Invitational championship, UK’s first team title in five years … Wildcats used two of her three scores en route to a 54-hole school record scored of 858 … Tied for 32nd at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington with an 8-over-par 224 (77-72-75) … Tied for 67th with a score of 232 (19-over par) at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee … Got off to a great start to the season with a 222 (6-over par) to tie for 29th at the Minnesota Invitational at Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, Minnesota … Her 54-hole total and finish were her best scores since the 2017 Clover Cup … Her 72 in the first round was her first score of even par or better since doing it eight times her freshman season … Selected as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar First Team member for the second season in a row for her achievements on and off the golf course … UK’s representative on the SEC Community Service Team for her leadership and dedication to helping others … Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team member … SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member … Dean’s List in fall 2018, spring 2019.

Summer 2018: Placed third with a score of 4-over par at the Marion Miley Invitational at Lexington Country Club in Lexington … Finished in 14th placed at the Long Beach Women’s City Championship in Long Beach, California … Tied for 26th with a score of 11-over par at the Texas Women’s Open at Rolling Hills Country Club in Arlington, Texas … Placed 31st with a score of 11-over par at the Tennessee Women’s Open at Stonehenge Golf Club in Crossville, Tennessee.

2017-18 (Sophomore): Appeared in four events in 2017-18 … Tied for 56th (18-over par) at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida … Tied for 51st (21-over par) at the Florida Challenge in Lecanto, Florida … Posted a 79.8 stroke average in the fall … Tied for 58th at the Cardinal Cup in Simpsonville, Kentucky, at 21-over par (237) … Tied for 73rd at UK’s Bettie Lou Evans Invitational at 26-over par (242) … Tabbed an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar First Team member for her achievements on and off the golf course … 2018 Spring Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll member … Dean’s List in fall 2017, spring 2018.

Summer 2017: Teamed up with teammate Sarah Shipley at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and made it to the round of 16 before falling in a playoff hole … Qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship by winning a local qualifier. 

2016-17 (Freshman): Appeared in 10 of the team’s 11 events, missing only the season-opening Minnesota Invitational … Recorded eight rounds of par or better, behind only Isabelle Johansson … Her eight rounds of par or better tied for the third most in a season in school history … Began her career with four straight even- or under-par rounds … Won SEC Freshman of the Week on March 22, just the second in school history and the first since Haley Mills won it in March 2014 … One of five Wildcats to play at the NCAA Columbus Regional … Posted four top-30 finishes, including 16th place at the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona, and in all three tournament appearances in the fall … Opened the PING ASU Invitational in Tempe, Arizona, with a 1-under 71 … With back-to-back rounds of 72 to finish the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona, fired a then-54-hole career best of 219 to finish in a tie for 16th place … Won SEC Freshman of the Week for her performance at the Clover Cup … Placed seventh in the Battle of the Bluegrass vs. Louisville … Tied for 29th at the Cardinal Cup in Simpsonville, Kentucky … With a pair of 72s in the first and second rounds, tied for 27th at the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Made her Kentucky debut by tying for fourth place in the stroke-play portion of the East & West Match Play Challenge in Ann Arbor, Michigan … Shot a 1-under 71 in her first career collegiate round at the East & West Match Play Challenge and then followed it with a 72 … Went 1-1 in the match-play portion of the East & West Match Play Challenge … Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team member … SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll member … Dean’s List in fall 2016, spring 2017.

Summer 2016: Posted a top-five finish at the Marion Miley in Lexington … Placed 38th at the Tennessee Women’s Open.

Before UK: A three-time First Team All-League selection out of Diamond Bar High School … Led Diamond Bar to the 2014 California Interscholastic Federation-Women’s Southern California Golf Association girls’ state championship … Also finished as state runners-up in both 2012 and 2013 … Led Diamond Bar to three CIF Southern Section Championships, four league titles, two Knabe Cup championships and the 2014 Ayala Tournament crown … Ended her high school career ranked No. 37 overall in Golfweek’s 2016 rankings … Member of the 2015 American Junior Golf Association Scholastic All-America Team … Best individual finish was second at the AJGA Junior at Yolo Fliers … Also finished third at the 2012 Veritas World Championship.

Personal: Born Oct. 20 … Daughter of Wen and Karen Chang … Has an older sister, Evelyn … Hails from Rancho Cucamonga, California … In high school was on the Principal Honor Roll from 2012-15 … Was named the 2014 Trigonometry/Math Analysis Student of the Year … Member of the 2012-13 Girls’ League … Participated in the 2014-15 California Scholarship Federation … Picked Kentucky over UC Riverside and Florida International … Nicknames include Jo, Josie and Joey … Dual majoring in kinesiology and biology … Her most memorable moment of her golf career was when she shot a 5-under 68 at a high school tournament to help her team place first.

Why she chose UK: “I fell in love with the coaches, the campus, the facilities and the great atmosphere of Lexington. I believe that I can improve and become the player that I want to be by joining this program. Not to mention I love the school colors.”

Chang’s Scorecard