April 17, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s golf program has signed Chelsey Couch (Ware Shoals, S.C.) to a National Letter of Intent for the 2012-13 season, head coach Kalen Harris announced Tuesday.

Couch, who is the second in-state signee in this year’s class, will come to Columbia after a stellar career at Ware Shoals High School in Ware Shoals, S.C.

“Chelsey is a strong player within the state of South Carolina,” Harris said. “But she has also gained some valuable experience at the national level as she has participated in the U.S. Girls’ and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Chelsey is extremely athletic and gritty, and I am looking forward to coaching her. Chelsey will make significant contributions to our program.”

Couch is a six-time South Carolina Coaches Association for Women’s Sports Class 1A Player of the Year. She competed in the 2010 U.S. Junior Girls’ Championship and the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Couch claimed the 2010 and 2011 South Carolina Junior Golf Association Jimmy Self Invitational and was the winner of the 2011 Carolina Golf Association Vicki DiSantis Junior Girls’ Championship. She has also been a standout in the classroom as she is the Valedictorian of her graduating class, a honor student and a South Carolina Junior Scholar.

Couch joins Karoline Woie (Stavanger, Norway), Sarah Schmelzel (Phoenix, Ariz.), Kaitlin Matheson (Easley, S.C.) and Mary Fran Hillow (Orlando, Fla.) to make up this year’s signing class. She becomes a part of a South Carolina program that is vying to make its fifth straight NCAA Regional appearance and fourth NCAA Championship appearance under Harris.