GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman's Haylee Harford earned Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) second-team All-America honors, as announced Tuesday by the WGCA.
Harford, a sophomore from Leavittsburg, Ohio, who ranks 23rd nationally, tied for fifth at the NCAA Lubbock Regional earlier this month and went on to tie for eighth at the NCAA Championship, the stroke portion of which was completed Monday at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. She led Furman, which is ranked ninth nationally and placed 12th at the NCAA Championship, with a 72.3 stroke average over 35 rounds this season, the best single-season stroke average ever for a Paladin women's golfer, and tied for individual medalist honors at the Minnesota Invitational, the Lady Puerto Rico Classic and the Brickyard Collegiate.
Harford, who was honored with the 2017 Southern Conference Pinnacle Award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA on each championship team, helped the Paladins to their third straight league championship in April. The 2016 SoCon Freshman of the year, she earned her second straight all-conference award in 2017. Harford had five top-five finishes and nine top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments this season.
“I am very honored and excited to be named a second-team All-American,” said Harford. “I have put in a lot of hard work and really enjoyed this past year. I am thankful to my coaches, teammates, family and friends for all that they have done. It is an amazing blessing.”
“I am extremely proud of Haylee for being named a second-team All-American,” said Furman head coach Jeff Hull. “She had a great year and really came through when it counted in the postseason. Finishing fifth at regionals and then eighth at nationals is a huge accomplishment. As only a sophomore, she has positioned herself as one of the top players in the country, and I look forward to her future successes.”
Harford's honor is the 20th WGCA All-America citation awarded to members of the Furman women's golf team since Greenville's own Sherri Turner won the program's first All-America award in 1979.
The criteria used to determine the WGCA All-American teams include head-to-head competition, comparison with common opponents, scoring average, place finishes in regular-season events and tournament wins, and strength of schedule.