LAKE ELMO, Minn. — Chloe Kovelesky wasn’t supposed to join the Wake Forest women’s golf team until this season.
Coach Kim Lewellen remembers calling Kovelesky last July, asking her if she would be able to come early.
“She was like, ‘Anything you need, coach,'” Lewellen said, “‘I’ll come in, and if you don’t play me, then I’ll just get ahead of school and practice with the team.’
“Just a team player. Immediately, we did need her, and she really helped us through the spring season.”
The sophomore enrolled mid-year last season and immediately won her first start at the Lady Bulldog Classic. She became arguably the Demon Deacons’ second-best player behind Carolina Lopez-Chacarra. All of this when she could’ve still been in high school.
And now, she’s arguably Wake Forest’s best player, and she’s starting another semester out with a win.
Kovelesky finished on top of the leaderboard Wednesday in the 2025 Annika Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club, sharing medalist honors with South Carolina sophomore Eila Galitsky, a fellow mid-year enrollee last season. Kovelesky and Galitsky finished at 9 under, three ahead of world No. 1 amateur Kiara Romero. Kovelesky had a birdie look from 7 feet on the closing hole to win outright but couldn’t get it to fall.
Nevertheless, her 2-under 70 in the final round helped Wake Forest capture the team competition for the second time in four years, winning by three shots over Oregon, which shot 16 under on Wednesday and darted up the leaderboard.
“It just was a blast to watch,” Lewellen said of her team’s closing stretch. “And we’re familiar with the golf course, and I think that’s a little bit of an advantage.”
Senior transfers Morgan Ketchum (T-7) and Casey Weidenfeld (T-30) were key cogs in helping Wake Forest return to the top at one of women’s college golf’s best events of the year. The Demon Deacons went into the final round tied with USC for first, but a second consecutive 7-under round propelled Wake Forest to a win.
Three years ago, when Wake Forest won its season opener, it went on to win the national title.
Galitsky, ranked seventh in the world, had an incredible finish to share medalist honors, playing the final five holes in 5 under, including an eagle at the closing par-5 18th. One of the longest hitters in the game, Galitsky picks up her second career win.
Romero also shined in the final round, shooting 6-under 66, as did teammate Sophie Han, a freshman, one of four Oregon players to shoot under par and help the Ducks, who were without junior Karen Tsuru due to a back injury, to finish second. USC’s Elise Lee, who transferred from Northwestern, finished solo fourth. Texas junior Farah O’Keefe and Northwestern freshman Arianna Lau tied for fifth.
USC, which was without junior Bailey Shoemaker due to injury, finished third at 4 under. Texas and defending national champion Northwestern tied for fourth at 2 under.
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