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Melena Barrientos - Women's Golf - Clemson University Athletics

Melena Barrientos

Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Plano, Texas
High School:
Plano West HS

A two-year starter, her 73.19 stroke average was fourth on the team in 2022-23, her 73.43 career stroke average is fifth best in Clemson history…has 17 career under-par rounds, fifth best in Clemson history, and 25 rounds at par or better, sixth best in Clemson history…has six career top 10 finishes, including a 10th place at the  2023 Pullman Regional

Full Bio

Career Stats

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Overview: Three-year starter, who has 73.41 stroke averaged for her career, ninth best in Clemson history…also seventh in school history in rounds under par with 21, and seventh in rounds at par or better with 30…has 12 career rounds in the 60s tied for sixth in school history…has 224 birdies, seventh in school history…her six career top 10s are tied for fourth in Clemson history…her score has counted in 59 of 71 rounds, .831, 10th in school history… has been a starter on each of Clemson’s last two NCAA national tournament teams…fourth on the team in stroke average each of the last two years…began this year as the #6 player, but moved into the lineup when Savannah Grewal turned professional…might have had her most important performance when she finished 10th at the Pullman Regional in 2023…finished 21st at Bryan Regional this year, giving her three consecutive top 25s at NCAA Regional Tournaments….Clemson’s top player in terms of scoring average as a freshman in 2021-22 with a 73.70 average…started her career with a pair of top 10 finishes, just the fourth Clemson player to do that…she had under-par rounds in each of her first five rounds as a freshman, the first Clemson player to start her career with five consecutive under-par rounds…ranked in the top 110 players in the nation by Golfstat and Golfweek/Sagarin as a freshman…her career best round is 66 at Ruth’s Chris her freshman year on October 16, 2021, her freshman year…came to Clemson after an outstanding high school and AJGA career in Plano, Texas…ranked #21 junior in the nation by AJGA in her final ranking as a junior in late July, 2021…AJGA listed her as 16th best overall junior in the United States, ninth best junior in the class of 2021 and third best in class of 2021 from Texas….Golfweek ranked Barrientos 41st overall, 10th best in the class  and #1 player in Texas…had four victories in junior golf and many top 10s while playing a national schedule for multiple years…. played in the 2021 Wyndham Cup at Bulls Bay in Awendaw, SC….Wyndham Cup features top 20 players from the East against top 20 from the West.

In 2023-24:  As a junior she played in seven events, six in the Clemson lineup…had a 73.37 stroke average, very close to her 73.41 career stroke average…had four under-par rounds and another at par…had 45 birdies and one eagle…had solid 72.86 stroke average in final rounds…had 3.08 stroke average on par three holes, second best on the team…had 4.21 average on par four holes and 4.92 on par fives…her score counted in 12-18 rounds, she had a 2-2 record in match play and had the best score of the round three times…had her best individual finish of the year with an 11th place at the Lady Bulldog Individual tournament…as far as playing for Clemson, she was 22nd at The Gator with a 214 score, and 21st at the NCAA Bryan…Clemson’s second best player at NCAA Regional in Bryan, Texas, which makes sense since she is a Texan….her best round of the year was a 69, twice, including the final round of the Bryan Regional when she helped Clemson to  a second place finish….that 69 was the best round of the day by a Tiger…Regional….won her match in match play at the ACC semifinals against Megan Propeck of Virginia, 2-up.

In 2022-23: Fourth on the team in average score vs. par at +1.56, her stroke average of 73.19 was fourth on the team…started nine of the 12 team events and played in three others as an individual…had seven rounds in the 60s, third on the team, and 13 rounds at par or better, fourth on the team…had 103 birdies to rank second on the team…had three top 10 finishes, including the Pullman Regional where her nine-under par 207 was 10th…only Clemson golfer to post three under-par rounds at the Pullman Regional…her opening round 67 is the second best score by a Clemson golfer at any NCAA postseason Tournament…had season best 16 birdies at the Pullman Regional…finished the year strong, she was also 11th at the ACC Tournament…had a sixth place at the Reynolds Lake as an individual where she had 14 birdies…had a fourth-place finish in the first event of the year, the Cougar Classic, where she had a seven-under-par 206…got her sophomore season off to a great start with three consecutive rounds in the 60s in finishing fourth at the Cougar Classic (68-69-69)…had 15 birdies at that tournament…then had a pair of even-par 70s at Schooner Classic to give her five straight rounds at par or better to open the season…had 73.1 stroke average in opening rounds of tournaments and 73.3 in the final round…had team best 3.06 stroke average on par three holes,  it was tied for 49th best in the nation….had 4.19 average on par fours and 4.86 on par fives…her score counted in 23 of 26 rounds this year and 47 of 53 rounds in her career…had the best score of the round six times and was Clemson’s top player one tournament, the season opener….Clemson’s second best golfer three times….ranked #163 by Golfstat and 176 by Golfweek  for the season…averaged 3.28 under par holes per round, 71st in the nation.

In 2021-22:    Led the Clemson team in scoring average, rounds at par or better, top 10 finishes, wins and birdies…had the best round of the day 13 times, more than any other Tiger…Clemson’s best player at four tournaments…her score counted 24 of  27 rounds…led  team in par four scoring at 4.17… had double figures in birdies in four tournaments…ranked #106 in final Golfstat rankings and #107 according to Golfweek/Sagarin…finished the year with team best 76 birdies and two eagles…had eight under-par rounds to lead the team and 12 total rounds at par or better to pace the squad…played in nine of the 10 tournaments missing only the Mason Rudolph…got her Clemson career off to a great start with sixth-place finish at Cougar Classic and third best at Ruth’s Chris…shot under-par in all three rounds at the Cougar Classic, including second round 68…had second-round 66 (-6) at Ruth’s Chris that was the low round of the year by a Clemson golfer and just one shot off the school record…shot six-under-par 210 at both tournaments…had two bogey-free rounds on the year, only Clemson golfer to do it, the second round 68 at Cougar Classic and second round 66 at Ruth’s Chris…joined Ashlan Ramsey, Sloan Shanahan and Alice Hewson as only players in Clemson history to start her career with consecutive top 10 tournament finishes…started the spring with a 16th place at the Tulane Classic…finished 20th at Florida State Matchup and 15th at Clover Cup, giving her three straight top 20s…led team with finish round 68 at the Clover Cup, a big reason Clemson won the 17-team tournament…finished 10th at the ACC Tournament (218, +2) and 19th at the NCAA Regional in Stillwater, Okla….Clemson’s top golfer at ACC Tournament and second best at NCAA Region.

Prior to Clemson:   Won the 2018 Gary Woodland Classic by five shots….In 2020, she had a pair of wins in dominating fashion, the Coca Cola Classic and the GreatLIFE Junior Challenge…..in March of 2021 won the K.J Choi Foundation Texas Junior with a 143 score…had opening round 69…finished second at the 2021 Dye Junior Championship June 6-8 at Crooked Stick near Indianapolis, she had scores of 70-76-74…finished sixth at Diamond Resorts Annika Invitational in January 2021 with a 222 score….finished 16th at Kathy Whitworth in March 2021…reached Final 16 of match play at the Western Amateur at Park Ridge Country Club in Illinois (July 19-24)…captured the 2020 GreatLIFE Challenge by eight shots with a 207 score after rounds of 70-70-67, then won the 2020 Coca Cola Classic at Sugarloaf by the same margin ….in 2019 she was one of five players to tie for first after 54 holes at the Hunter Mahan Junior Championship before losing in a playoff….. at USGA events, Barrietos and a teammate reached the round of 16 at the US Amateur Four-Ball in Jacksonville, Fla. in 2019 and 2021, she finished in the round of 32 in 2020….. also participated in the 2019 US Junior Amateur…at Plano West High School, Barrientos won four tournaments, two each as a sophomore and a junior….COVID limited play as a senior….she had a career low round of 61 during her junior year…..Plano West Senior High Team was state 6A runner-up each of her last two years.

Tournament-by-Tournament 2021-22

DateTournament1-2-3ParTotalFinish
9/13-14Cougar Classic71-68-71-62106
10/15-17Ruth's Chris Tar Heel70-66-74-62103
10/29-31Landfall Tradition78-75-77+1432076
2/13-15Tulane Classic83-72-75+1423016
2/25-27Florida St. Matchup74-79-71+822420
3/11-13Clover Cup72-74-68-221415
3/25-27Clemson Invitational75-82-74+1523144
4/14-15ACC Tournament72-72-74+221810
5/9-11NCAA Columbus Regional74-71-78+722319

Tournament-by-Tournament 2022-23

DateTournament1-2-3ParTotalFinish
9/13-14Cougar Classic68-69-69-72064
9/24-26Schooner Classic70-70-71+121127
10/3-5The Blessings79-79-73+1523135
10/10Ivy Intercollegiate75-77+815220
10/28-30Battle at the Beach76-68-73+42176
2/17-19Reynolds Lake74-78-69+52216
3/10-12Clover Cup73-78-75+1022638
3/24-26Clemson Invitational74-72-77+722341
4/13-14ACC Tournament70-72-75+121711
5/8-10NCAA Pullman Reg.67-71-69-920710
5/19-21NCAA National78-75-78+15231125

Tournament-by-Tournament 2023-24

DateTournament1-2-3ParTotalFinish
10/15-17Mercedes Benz78-70-72+722038
1/27#Lady Bulldog75+37511
3/1-2Gator Invitational74-71-69+421422
3/8-10Valspar Augusta74-73-77+822452
3/22-24Clemson Invitational74-72-75+522140
4/18-20ACC Championship76-71-73+422032
5/6-8NCAA Bryan Reg.74-77-69+422021

#Individual Tournament

Career Stats

YearTournamentsRoundsStrokes60s-75-ParParAvgTop-10Best RoundBest Total
2021-2292719903208473.70366210
2022-23113223427239473.19367206
2023-2471913942154173.37069214
Totals27785726125821973.41666206

ACC Champion

This badge signifies that the student-athlete has won an ACC Championship with the Clemson Tigers!

Hello, I'm Melena Barrientos!