GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman junior Carly Burkhardt is the student-athlete recipient of the 2020 Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Division I Kim Moore Spirit Award, as announced today by the organization.
The award is dedicated to Kim Moore, who played golf for the University of Indianapolis from 1999-2003. Moore was an inspiration to all as she persevered through many physical challenges while playing collegiate golf. Her positive outlook and dedication toward the game was only out done by her sense of humor and passion for the game.
The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor a student-athlete or coach who exemplifies a great spirit toward the game of golf, a positive attitude on and off the golf course, a role model for her team and mental toughness in facing challenges.
Shortly after helping Furman reach the 2017 NCAA Championships as a freshman, Burkhardt, a native of Greenville, South Carolina, was diagnosed with a very rare disease: aplastic anemia. She spent the summer in the hospital, fighting through the flu, adverse reaction to medicines, and a routine procedure that turned life-threatening.
Burkhardt was forced to miss her sophomore season in 2017-18 but battled back in time to help Furman kick off the 2018-19 season with a first place finish at the Lady Paladin Invitational; however, tragedy struck again when her younger sister Kathryn passed away from a complication due to a rare neurological disorder. Burkhardt was soon diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and took the remainder of the season off. After much counseling and hard work, she returned to golf in the fall of 2019, playing in four of five events and ranking second on the team with a 72.9 stroke average.
“I am so proud of Carly for the way she has fought through such adversity from before her college career even started,” said Furman head coach Jeff Hull. “She has dealt with so much and still keeps fighting to play the game she loves at a highly competitive level.”
Burkhardt becomes the second Furman women’s golfer to win the Kim Moore Spirit Award, joining Jacqueline Bendrick, who was honored with the award in 2018.
About the Women’s Golf Coaches Association
The Women’s Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 650 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.