UNC Greensboro Athletics: Freshman Holcombe Enjoyed A Memorable Summer

Greensboro NC

03 August, 2021

11:27 AM

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Press release from UNC Greensboro Athletics: 8/2/2021 9:03:00 AM Story Links Grace Holcombe enjoyed a memorable experience of competing in the United States Golf Association Girls Junior Amateur Championships last month. "Going to the USGA Girls Junior Championship was simply a life changing experience," said the incoming UNC Greensboro freshman recently. "Before I went, I knew it was going to be a nice event because it was run by USGA, but it was way more than what I had imagined. The way they treated the players made us feel like tour players. "We had a locker room and a hospitality room with an ice cream and candy bar. We also got great tee gifts. The most meaningful part of it all was that I felt like I had worked so hard to be there and I knew that I deserved to be there along girls I have admired and looked up to in the junior golf world. Competing in this event definitely boosted my confidence for performing well at UNCG." Holcombe finished tied for 74th out of 156 junior golfers in the five-day tournament that was held at the Colombia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In missing the cut by two strokes, she shot a two-over 74 in the first round and carded a six-over 78 in the second round. UNCG head coach Ashley Leonard is adding an experienced golfer to her 2021-22 squad. "I've been golfing since I was 4 years old," Holcombe said. "My grandma gave me a set of plastic clubs and my parents noticed that I was making contact and hitting them straight. I was put into some First Tee classes and the rest is history. My mom always said that when I was young, we would pass by a golf course and I would say, "Mommy, it's a good day for golf.' She would have no idea where it came from because we didn't even have the golf channel growing up." Holcombe is planning to major in marketing. It influenced her decision to attend UNCG. "I really liked how the Bryan School of Business is nationally ranked," Holcombe said. "The campus is also diverse and seems small even though a lot of people attend the university. I would love to take my marketing skills to the next level and work with a major golf company. I also love the coach and everyone on my team." She enjoys her time away from golf by playing volleyball and tennis. She loves going to the beach and spending time with family and friends. Holcombe is re-watching "Stranger Things" on Netflix while anxiously awaiting the second season of "Outer Banks." "Even though my scores weren't my best, I feel like I played really good golf," Holcombe said. "I remember being super nervous on the first tee the first round but after I got that first hole out of the way, I was ready to play. "Over the two days, there were a lot of good and bad with every part of my game, but I would have to say my driving was long and consistent. I also made a lot of clutch par putts the first day. My mental game was also very strong just because I was trying to enjoy the moment and not stress over how my game wasn't perfect. I wanted to focus on having fun and taking in every second." Print Friendly Version This press release was produced by UNC Greensboro Athletics. The views expressed here are the author's own.