Darling Named WGCA First Team All-American

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Freshman Hannah Darling was named a Women’s Golf Coaches Association First Team All-American the organization announced late Wednesday at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship.
 
The criteria used to determine the WGCA All-American Teams include:
 
• Head-to-head competition
• Comparison with common opponents
• Scoring average
• Place finishes in regular season events and tournament wins
• Strength of schedule
 
The WGCA Second Team and Honorable Mention Team will be announced after the conclusion of the tournament.
 
Darling joins Ana Pelaez (2017), Emily Price (2019) and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard as the only freshmen in program history to earn All-America honors. She and Roussin-Bouchard are the only two to be named First Team All-Americans their first seasons on campus.
 
Darling is the seventh different player in program history to be named a First Team All-American (14 first team selections all-time). She’s the 10th First Team All-America selection under head coach Kalen Anderson and the fifth different player under her tutelage to garner First Team recognition. Since Anderson took over in the spring of 2008, 12 different Gamecocks have earned All-American honors a total of 35 times.
 
A native of Midlothian, Scotland, Darling recently wrapped up one of the best seasons in program history by a freshman. Her team-best 72.72 scoring average is the second-lowest in program history by a freshman, trailing only Roussin-Bouchard. She had seven top-10 finishes in 11 starts with 14 rounds of par or better in 33 rounds played. Darling did not place in the NCAA Championship after missing the third round due to illness. She returned for the medal round on Monday and shot 69 (-3) and was one of just three players to shoot in the 60s in round four.
 
Darling is one of three freshmen named WGCA First Team All-America. She’s joined on the team by NCAA Individual National Champion Rose Zhang of Stanford and Amari Avery of Southern Cal.
 
She will compete in the upcoming Curtis Cup (June 10-12) and Arnold Palmer Cup (July 1-3) this summer.
 
2022 WGCA First Team All-Americans
Amari Avery, FR., Southern Cal
Hannah Darling, FR., South Carolina
Rachel Kuehn, JR., Wake Forest
Alexandra Forsterling, SR., Arizona State
Ashley Lau, SR., Michigan
Ingrid Lindblad, JR., LSU
Polly Mack, SR., Alabama
Natasha Andrea Oon, SR., San Jose State
Emma Spitz, JR., Cal
Chiara Tamburlini, JR., Ole Miss
Beatrice Wallin, SR., Florida State
Rose Zhang, FR., Stanford
 
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