There are 108 college coaches on-site at The Country Club of North Carolina this week, but one player they don’t need to worry about recruiting is Danielle Kang. Kang finished high school last December so she could get an early start at Pepperdine University this spring.
And she made a splash right away – earning second-team All-American honors from Golfweek magazine. She was the medalist at the Bruin Wave Invitational, her second collegiate tournament, and was Pepperdine’s top finisher at the NCAA East Regional, where she finished sixth, and the NCAA Championship, where she tied for 15th.
But don’t expect Kang, who leads the charge for medalist honors midway through the second round, to think she has an advantage over the field because of her collegiate experience.
“It’s just another tournament, that’s how I look at it,” said Kang, who made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago. “Whether it’s a college tournament or junior tournaments, it’s all just competitive rounds. I don’t really see the difference. You’re still fighting competitors for the trophy.” – Beth Murrison