Nov. 15, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s golf program has signed Katelyn Dambaugh to a National Letter of Intent for the 2013-14 season, head coach Kalen Harris announced Thursday.

Dambaugh will join the Gamecocks next season after a stellar career at Pinewood Preparatory in Summerville, S.C.

“I am thrilled to have Katelyn joining the Gamecock family,” Harris said. “Katelyn has been verbally committed to our program for a couple of years now, and she has been and continues to be an extremely loyal Gamecock. I have followed Kate’s development from a young age in South Carolina junior golf to her breakout onto the national level.”

A native of Goose Creek, S.C., Dambaugh is currently the 16th-ranked junior golfer in the nation by Golfweek and the eighth-ranked golfer in the class of 2013. Dambaugh, who has earned All-State honors for the Pinewood girls’ and boys’ golf teams, accumulated nine individual and team state titles during her career for the Panthers while playing on both teams. She is also a standout basketball player for Pinewood and has helped lead the Panthers to two state titles on her way to earning All-State honors on the hardwood.

On the national level, Dambaugh was the runner-up at the 2010 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at age 15. She recently finished fourth at the 2012 AJGA Junior Girls’ Championships, shooting rounds of 73-70-71. Dambaugh also recorded a runner-up finish at the 2012 Beth Daniel Junior Azalea after shooting a tournament-record 64 in the final round.

“Katelyn is one of the most talented and longest ball strikers I have seen on the female side of the game, and she plays golf with a very fiery, competitive attitude,” Harris said. “Katelyn will be a major impact player for our team, as she has experience of winning and shooting low rounds at both the state and national levels. Katelyn’s future is bright, and I look forward to helping her reach her goals in college and beyond.”

Dambaugh will join a South Carolina program that has won two NCAA East Regional titles and made four NCAA Championship appearances under Harris’ guidance.