Jensen Castle

Career Stats Breakdown

Career Awards / Honors:
2022-23 WGCA All-America Honorable Mention
2022-23 Golfweek All-America Honorable Mention
2022-23 All-SEC Second Team
2022-23 SEC Community Service Team
2022-23 Frank G. Ham Society of Character
3x Augusta National Women’s Amateur invitee (2022, 2023, 2024)
2x Curtis Cup invitee (2021, 2022)
5x WGCA All-American Scholar (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
4x SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion
4x U.S. Women’s Amateur participant (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
2021 Kentucky Golf Association Women’s Player of the Year
2019-20 All-SEC First Team
2019-20 SEC All-Freshman Team
2019-20 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

Finished her five-year career with the University of Kentucky women’s golf program ranked third (2022-23, 71.77), fourth (2019-20, 71.88) and fifth (2021-22, 72.72) in single-season scoring averages in program history. She also finished her college career ranked third in single-season, par-or-better rounds in program history (2022-23, 16) and second in career par-or-better rounds in program history (54).

2023-24 (Graduate): Turned in scores of 75, 73 and 75 to place T52 (+13) at the SEC Championship (par 70), also helping Kentucky finish in fifth place and reach the match-play quarterfinals for the first time since the inception of the NCAA Championship format six seasons ago … There, defeated her match-play opponent, 4&3, before UK lost to eventual SEC Champions No. 4 Mississippi State in the quarterfinals … Closed out the regular season with a 3-over-par 219 for T33 at the Clemson Invitational, including earning a 3-under-par 69 in the first round … Turned in scores of 71, 69 and 76 to finish T28 (216, +3) in the elite field at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (par 71) … Went 72, 72 and 78 at NEXUS Collegiate for a 6-over and T15 finish … Earned a 70-74-71 for a T21 finish at UCF Challenge … Defeated Caroline Craig, 7 and 6, in the Kentucky vs. Indiana Match Play event to begin the spring season … Played at the tough Blessings Collegiate Invitational, finishing in 49th place on a 19-over before the event was suspended after 36 hole because of weather … Went just 1-over at the Mason Rudolph Championship, finishing T35 … Began the season with a 4-under-par (209) for T20 at the Cougar Classic (par 71), contributing all three of her rounds (67, 69, 73) to the team total.

2022-23 (Senior): Named a 2022-23 WGCA All-America Honorable Mention … Fundamental in helping UK break four team school records in 2022-23, including the top two 18-hole rounds in school history (271, -17 and 275, -13), 54-hole tournament (830, -34) and single-season scoring average (289.6) … Averaged a 71.7 stroke average in 2022-23, her career best and the second-best stroke average in program history … Had five top-10 finishes during the season, including one medalist honor … Was named to the 2022-23 All-SEC Second Team … Named to the 2022-23 SEC Community Service Team … Named to the 2022-23 Frank G. Ham Society of Character … Had three rounds of par-or-better at the NCAA Pullman Regional to finish tied for 26th place for a 2-under-par 214 … Finished in 64th place at the SEC Championship on a 22-over-par 238 … Went 2-under on the first day of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, sitting in a tie for fourth place after the first round, before making the cut and finishing with a 7-over-par 223 at the invitational event … Was in contention for much of the Florida State Match Up, mostly thanks to a first-round 70 and a second-round 67, before finishing in a tie for third place on a 1-under-par 215 … Had a headliner performance at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, going -5 on the front nine of the second round at Long Cove Club on five birdies, including two chip-ins, and four pars, to produce a 1-over-par 214 tournament total for T8 … Began the spring season by going even-par 213 for a share of fifth place at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge … Helped Kentucky to back-to-back tournament titles to close out the fall season at the Illini Women’s Invitational and Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, while also helping the Wildcats to a school-record 830 (-34) at the Illini Women’s Invitational … Had a stellar performance at the fourth tournament of the season at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, connecting rounds of 74, 67 and 68 for a 7-under-par 209 to earn the first medalist honor of her career … Strung together three impressive scores at the Illini Women’s Invitational , including rounds of 66 (her career best), 70 and 69 for a season-best, 11-under-par 205 for fourth place overall … Really shined in the second tournament of the season, piecing together rounds of 70, 73 and 70 for a 3-under-par 213 and a tie for 11th place at the Mason Rudolph Championship … Began the season with a second-round 69 at the Cougar Classic (par 71), turning in a 4-over-par 217 for a share of 45th place in the season opener.

2021-22 (Junior): At the SEC Championship, she finished in 54th place, recording a 14-over-par 230 … Rallied a T38 finish at the Clemson Invitational on a 14-over-par 230 … Earned her third top-five finish of the season at the Clover Cup, putting together rounds of 70, 73 and 66 to turn in a 7-under-par 209 for fifth place … Finished T65 at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate with a 15-over-par 228 … Placed second at the UCF Challenge, her highest-ever finish as a Wildcat, while breaking the 54-hole school record by four strokes with a score of 15-under-par 201 … Also matched her career-best 18-hole low of 66 twice in Orlando … Dominated in her first collegiate match-play event with a 7-and-6 rout of Louisville’s Agustina Gomez Cisterna in the Battle of the Bluegrass at Club Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida … Notched two top-20 finishes in the fall and led the team with a 71.75 stroke average, just fractions ahead of her 2019-20 single-season record pace … Tied for the team lead in the fall with six rounds of par or better … Tied for 27th at The Ally at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi, with a score of 4-over-par 220, including a first-round 71 … Top Kentucky finisher at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational with a 13th-place showing … With two rounds of under-par golf, shot a 4-under-par 212 (73-69-70) at the UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ... Enjoyed her best tournament as a Wildcat at the Mason Rudolph Championship with 18-hole (66 in the first round) and 54-hole (208) career lows to tie for third, tied for her best collegiate finish … Opened the Mason Rudolph Championship at Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tennessee, with a 6-under-par 66, a career best, thanks to eight birdies … Followed the 66 with a 70 and a 72 to finish at 8-under par overall, beating her previous 54-hole collegiate low by six strokes … Opened the season at the Wolverine Invitational with an 8-over-par 221 to tie for 29th at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Michigan …  WGCA All-American Scholar Team member … SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member.

2021 Summer: Breakthrough summer with a historic win at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York … First player in school history to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur … Defeated Arizona’s Yu-Chiang (Vivian) Hou, the 2020 Women’s Golf Coaches Association Freshman of the Year, 2 and 1 in the 36-hole championship match … First No. 63 seed to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the third No. 63 seed in United States Golf Association history to win a title since seeding began in the 1980s … Came from 2 down with three holes to play in the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur to defeat Rachel Heck, the 2021 NCAA individual national title winner and the consensus national collegiate player of the year … Advanced to match play of the U.S. Women’s Amateur by capturing one of the final two spots from stroke play in a 12-for-2 playoff …  By winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur, qualified for the Curtis Cup, a biennial international match vs. Great Britian and Ireland, the first player in program history to make the team … Went 1-1-2 in Curtis Cup matches to help Team USA to a 12.5-7.5 victory at Conwy Golf Club in North Wales … Partnered with Wake Forest’s Rachel Kuehn for a second straight year to win the Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball Championship for a second consecutive year … Playing at Orangeburg Country Club in Orangeburg, South Carolina, a different course from the 2020 title run, tied their tournament record with a two-round score of 16-under par … Became the second player in the Golda Borst era to play in the U.S. Women’s Open after placing second at a sectional qualifier at Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh … Defeated professional Rachel Rohanna on the second playoff hole to lock up the second and final spot from the Pittsburgh sectional for the U.S. Women’s Open … Finished in 150th at 23-over par at the U.S. Women’s Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

2020-21 (Sophomore): Averaged 74.5 strokes per round  in 11 events … Two top-20 finishes … Contributed to the team score in 30 of 33 rounds … Posted five rounds of par or better … Participated in Kentucky’s first NCAA Championship finals in 29 years … After a difficult opening round, rebounded in Scottsdale, Arizona, to shoot 74 in the final round and finish at 16-over par, tied for 111th, at the Grayhawk Golf Club’s Raptor Course … Posted a score of 13-over par at the NCAA Columbus Regional to tie for 45th … Helped Kentucky to its first NCAA Championship finals since 1992 with a key birdie late in the final round en route to a fourth-place team finish at the Ohio State University Golf Club Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio … Qualified for the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open by placing second at the sectional qualifier at Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh … After shooting a score of 1-under par in the 36-hole qualifier, advanced to the national championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco with a victory on the second playoff hole to break a two-way tie … Tied for 56th at the Southeastern Conference Championship with a score of 7-over par at Greystone Golf & Country Club’s Legacy Course in Birmingham, Alabama ... Carded a score of 6-over par (75-73-74) to tie for 27th at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic at the University Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana … Tied for 26th at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic with a score of 9-over par at the UGA Golf Course in Athens, Georgia … Best overall tournament of the season at the Gamecock Intercollegiate with a 2-over-par 218 (75-70-73), tied for her season low, to tie for a season-best 15th place at Columbia, Country Club in Blythewood, South Carolina … Tied for 23rd at the Florida Gators Invitational with a score of 9-over par (76-71-72) at Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida … Strong start to the spring with a 3-over-par 219 (72-74-73) at the UCF Challenge at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Florida for her first top-20 finish of the season (tied for 19th) … Averaged 74.6 strokes in the fall season with three rounds of par or better … The team used her score in all nine rounds played … Tied for 33rd at the Liz Murphey Fall Collegiate Classic with a score of 8-over par at the UGA Golf Course in Athens, Georgia … Top Wildcat finisher at The Ally, tying for 22nd with a score of 2-over par at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi … Tied her then-career low with a 69 in the first round of The Ally … Tied for 31st at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational with a score of 13-over par at the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas … WGCA All-American Scholar Team member … SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member.

2020 Summer: Played in the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in August, arguably the top amateur tournament in the country … After trying for 36th in stroke play, advanced to the round of 32 in match play at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland … Teamed up with Wake Forest’s Rachel Kuehn to win the 43rd Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball Championship at Catawba Country Club in Newton, North Carolina … The duo torched the 26-team field by six shots with a score of 16-under par, a 36-hole tournament record … Placed fourth at the Golfweek Myrtle Beach Collegiate with a score of 2-over par at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

2019-20 (Freshman): Sensational freshman year with one of the best single seasons in Kentucky women’s golf history … Set the school’s new single-season stroke average record with a 71.88 mark … Made the All-SEC First Team, UK’s first All-SEC First Team pick since Cindy Mueller in 1989, when there was just one All-SEC team … 11th all-time Wildcat to earn All-SEC selection (13 total honors) but the first to do so as a freshman … Also made the SEC All-Freshman Team, just the third in program history and the first since Haley Mills in 2014 … Appeared in a team-high-tying six events in the shortened season … Placed in the top 20 in five of six team events, the best mark on the team … Also added two top-10 showings … Eleven of 17 rounds were par or better, the best mark on the team and the third-best mark in single-season school history despite the shortened season … Team used her scored in 15 of 17 rounds, tied for a team best … Played a central role in UK’s two team championships … Was among the candidates for the Arnold Palmer Cup for most of the season … Finished the season ranked No. 53 nationally in Golfstat’s rankings … With a 72-74-70, shot even par at the Moon Golf Invitational and tied for 12th at the Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Florida … Opened the Lady Puerto Rico Classic with a 71 and tied for 28th with a 6-over-par 222 at the Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico … Led the Wildcats to a second-place finish at the Cardinal Cup with a fifth-place individual showing … Carded a 1-under-par 215 (72-69-74) at the University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, Kentucky … Posted three straight rounds of par or better (70-72-72) at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational en route to a 2-under-par 214, which tied her for 13th in the competitive field at the UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina … Helped the Wildcats to their second straight championship with a win at UK’s home tournament, the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington … Carded a 54-hole total of 1-over par in the Bettie Lou to tie for 11th, including a round of 70 to close out the 15-shot team win … Played a critical role in Kentucky’s championship at the Minnesota Invitational in Woodbury, Minnesota … In her first collegiate tournament, fired back-to-back 69s for a 6-under-par 138 to tie for third at the Prestwick Golf Club … Sealed the championship for the Wildcats with four birdies over the final seven holes, including three straight late in the round … Led the field with 13 birdies … WGCA All-American Scholar Team member.

Summer 2019: Placed second at the Girls Junior PGA Championship in Hartford, Connecticut … In a 144-player field that featured some of the best golfers in the country, finished at 12-under par … Tied for 12th at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship … Member of the East squad that won the 2019 Wyndham Cup … Qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior.

Before UK: One of the top amateur golfers in the country during her high school years … Believed to be the highest-rated signee in Kentucky women’s golf history … Consistently ranked high on the American Junior Golf Association rankings, rising up to No. 9 overall by the end of her high school career and No. 4 in the class of 2019 … Checked in at No. 12 in the Golfweek rankings before arriving at UK … 2019 Rolex Junior All-America First Team honors by the AJGA … Two-time individual state champion, winning once at the 3A level and once at 5A … Dominated the South Carolina Class 3A state championship in 2018 … With a 137, Castle won by 10 shots and set the two-day state tournament record … Also won the 5A state title in 2016 at White Knoll High School, where she led the team to a state runner-up finish … Owns the nine- 18- and 36-hole school records at White Knoll … Five-time All-State selection, five-time All-Region pick (including one year on the boys’ team) and a three-time member of the Can-Am Junior Team … Placed second at the ANNIKA Invitational USA in January 2019 … Numerous top-10 AJGA finishes, including seventh at the 2018 AJGA Girls Championship.

Personal: Born Feb. 21 … Daughter of Elizabeth and Darin Castle … Has a younger sister, Jalen … Born and raised in West Columbia, South Carolina … Attended Gray Collegiate Academy for high school … Member of the National Honors Society in high school … Also volunteered with Pets Incorporated and worked junior golf clinics in high school … Chose UK over UNC Charlotte, South Florida, South Carolina and Indianapolis … She considers her most prized possession her golf clubs because of where they’ve taken her in life … She’s made a hole-in-one before and considers it her favorite golf memory … Major is marketing and management.

Why she chose UK: “From the moment I stepped on campus, UK felt like home and I felt welcomed by the team and the coaches.”