Virginia Women's Golf Team Signs Two Top Juniors
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Nov. 16, 2006
Charlottesville, VA – Virginia women’s golf coach Jan Mann announced today that two of the nation’s top junior golfers have signed national letters of intent and will play for the Cavaliers next fall. The two student-athletes are Calle Nielson from Nashville, Tenn. and Joy Kim from Duluth, Ga.
“We are excited that both Joy and Calle will be joining the Virginia women’s golf program next fall,” said fourth-year coach Jan Mann. “They are both extremely talented golfers and exceptional students who will be great assets to our University and golf team. Calle and Joy have had tremendous success as junior golfers, and I anticipate that both of them will have an immediate impact on our program and its future success.”
Nielson, a 2006 second-team Rolex Junior All-American, had four top-10 finishes on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tour this year. Her best effort was a second-place finish at the True Temper/David Gossett Junior Championship. She qualified for the LPGA Tour’s 2006 Franklin American Mortgage Championship where she failed to make the cut after the first two rounds. Last summer she finished 18th at the McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship that featured over 60 of the world’s best junior players.
Last summer Nielson was on the Tennessee team that defeated Canada to win the 10th annual Ruth Eller Cup. She earned her spot on the team by winning The Wally tournament in Tennessee by five shots. She is currently ranked 33rd in Golfweek’s Junior Girls rankings. Nielson is ranked 14th in the nation for prospective college recruits by Golfweek.
Starting as an eighth grader, Nielson finished in the top 10 in the state tournament for five straight years for University School of Nashville and was runner-up in 2005 and placed third in 2006. She also plays basketball for his high school team.
Kim also had an impressive amateur season headlined by winning the 27th Annual Georgia Girl’s Championship by seven strokes. It marked the first time she played in a Georgia State Golf Association event and qualified her for a spot at the inaugural Georgia-South Carolina Girls’ Junior Challenge Match.
On the AJGA circuit, she placed second at the Ringold Telephone Company Junior Classic. Kim finished third at the 2005 McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship that featured over 60 of the world’s best junior players. She is currently ranked 32nd in Golfweek’s Junior Girls rankings. She was considered the No. 13 prospect for college-bound players.
Kim attends Northview High School in Duluth where she helped her team to a tie for first place at last year’s Georgia’s 5A state championships. Kim shot even-par 72 to share medalist honors.