By Stan Olenik, Editor-Publisher The Golf Club
PINEHURST, N.C. — For Sydney Roberts, the space between college seasons has become a proving ground.
The Clemson senior captured the CGA Young Amateur Championship for the second time, closing at even par for a three-shot victory at the Mid South Club.
Roberts set the tone with a first-round 3-under-par 69 — the only under-par round by a woman in the field — and carried a three-shot cushion into the final round. Scores rose across the board on day two, but no one was able to mount a serious challenge.
She’s been here before. Roberts also won this event earlier in her Clemson career, and once again it served as a competitive reset during the quiet stretch between the fall and spring college seasons.
“I have always loved playing in CGA tournaments. I like this one because it puts me back into competing mode,” Roberts said. “Playing dogfights at home between semesters is fun, but it’s not the same as qualifying or a college tournament.”
That sense of purpose also helps explain what went wrong a year ago.
Roberts didn’t dodge last season’s disappointment as the defending ACC Champions struggled with a demanding schedule that plunged the Tigers into an early hole that proved impossible to escape.
Clemson slipped below the .500 mark quickly, and with postseason math looming every week, the pressure mounted.
“We were chasing all spring,” she said. “Once you get behind early, every tournament feels like you have to do something special just to catch up.”
That reality set the stage for meaningful change.
Following the season, Clemson head coach Kelley Hester reshaped parts of the program, including the decision to name team captains for the first time. Roberts and fellow senior Isabella Rawl took on the role for a roster now dominated by freshmen and sophomores.
The impact showed immediately. Clemson opened the year with a win at the Tiger Classic and closed the fall with another victory at the French Broad Collegiate Invitational at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
“There’s more accountability,” Roberts said. “We’re young, but we’re deeper, and everyone’s pulling toward the same goal.”
The Young Amateur win also carried a strong family subplot.
Roberts keeps her game sharp away from college golf playing at Meadowbrook Golf Club, often in competition with her father, Kevin Roberts. A longtime fixture on the Upstate amateur circuit, Kevin Roberts owns multiple Spartanburg County Amateur titles along with wins in several other prominent Upstate events.
Younger sister Olivia Roberts, now a scholarship player at Anderson University, is already making noise of her own. Widely regarded as one of the top incoming freshmen in NCAA Division II, Olivia finished seventh at Mid South — including a second round that beat her older sister head-to-head, if not on the final scoreboard.
With classes resuming and team meetings underway, Roberts’ focus now turns fully to spring. Clemson opens in early February at the Paradise Invitational in Florida, carrying momentum — and perspective — into the heart of the season.
After reclaiming a familiar trophy at the Young Amateur Championship during the mid-season break, Roberts’ goals for her final year at Clemson feel very much within reach.
Individually, she would like to add a college victory before her Clemson career ends — and help her teammates pick up a little more bling along the way.
“I wouldn’t mind finishing this thing with another ACC ring,” she said with a smile.
Clemson’s Roberts wins second Carolina Golf Association Young Am title
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Categories: CGA, Clemson golf
