Olarra Tabbed Spanish Amateur Golfer Of The Year

Dec. 18, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s golf standout Ainhoa Olarra has been named the Spanish Amateur Golfer of the Year, it was announced this week.

The senior from San Sebastian, Spain, boasted successful showings in both the United States and Europe in 2017. She totaled four top-10 finishes during Carolina’s spring slate in a stretch highlighted by a 10th-place showing at the 2017 NCAA Championship. The performance marked the fifth-best individual finish at the event in program history.

Olarra’s productive year continued in June at the 114th Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, where she earned runner-up honors at Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club in South Wales. The Spaniard, who placed 39th in the stroke-play portion of the tournament, notched five match-play victories to reach the championship round.

Olarra paced the Gamecocks this fall, finishing under par in three of the team’s four events. She closed 2017 with back-to-back top-five finishes, including a second-place showing at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational.

The senior, who is currently listed at No. 30 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, posted the program’s second-lowest 54-hole mark (205, -11) en route to runner-up honors at the three-day event. She closed the fall ranked 21st in NCAA Division I with a 70.82 stroke average.