By the Palmetto Sports Net Staff for SCGolfClub.com

Clemson women’s golfers were all smiles Tuesday as the team capped one of the most complete fall campaigns in program history with a statement victory at the French Broad Collegiate Invitational at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.

The Tigers didn’t just win — they dominated. All five Clemson players finished inside the top 10 for the first time in program history, posting a 36-hole team score of 578 (+2) to cruise past the field by 18 shots. The margin was the largest ever for the program, eclipsing the previous record of six strokes.

From Reset to Results

Just one year ago, Clemson’s women were on the outside looking in when postseason bids were announced. Despite finishing the year ranked No. 39 nationally, the Tigers were left out of the NCAA field after falling below the .500 record requirement — the first time in head coach Kelley Hester’s nine seasons they failed to qualify.

That disappointment set the tone for a full program reset last summer.
Hester and assistant coach Katy Darnell rewrote team policies, appointed captains Isabella Rawl and Sydney Roberts for the first time, and emphasized daily accountability.

“We wanted a renewed commitment to shared language and a shared mentality,” Hester said earlier this fall. “We blew up our team policy and procedures and rewrote them in a way that was easy for our team to see every day.”

That new culture — one blending senior leadership with global newcomers — quickly started paying off. Clemson opened the season with a win at its own Tiger Classic, added top-five finishes at the Cougar Classic and Mason Rudolph, and now ends the fall with another championship.

All Five in the Top Ten

At Walnut Cove, the Tigers faced not just a field of regional rivals but a demanding golf course that challenged every part of their games.
Hester said her team’s focus was simple: beat the course.

“We’re just really thrilled to come out of here with a win,” Hester said. “I felt like the golf course was going to be our main competition. We wanted to play well against it.”

Clemson did exactly that.
Juliette Demeaux opened with a blistering 67 (–5), the low round of the tournament.
Isabella Rawl followed with steady 71-71 rounds (142, –2) to finish runner-up.
Freshman Sarah Uebelhart closed with a 70 (–2) to take fourth, while Aitana Tuesta and Sydney Roberts tied for seventh after matching 36-hole totals of 150.

The weather shortened the event to 36 holes, but it couldn’t slow Clemson’s momentum. The team’s +2 finish left UNC Charlotte (+20) and UNC Asheville (+32) far behind — a program-record margin of victory and Clemson’s second team title of the season, marking the first multi-win year in the program’s 125-tournament history.

Proof of Progress

Clemson’s fall résumé — four top-five finishes in five starts — underscores just how far the team has come since last spring’s frustration.

Uebelhart has been one of the ACC’s steadiest freshmen, Demeaux already owns a collegiate win, and Rawl and Roberts have re-established their senior leadership presence.

The Tigers will now break for winter before returning Feb. 2–4 at the Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida — with renewed confidence and clear momentum heading into the spring.

Clemson Athletics contributed to this report.