Women's Golf
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- whitney@GoCards.com
- Phone:
- 852-8295
A former collegiate All-American and one of the top all-time players in the state of Kentucky, Whitney Young was tabbed the head coach of Louisville's women’s golf program on July 1, 2019.
In her sixth season at the helm of the Cardinals, Young guided them back to the NCAA Tournament as they were tabbed for the Lexington Regional. The Cardinals best round as a team came in the final round of the regional where they fired off an 8-under-par 280 in the final round of the season. The Cardinals came away with a tournament win when they captured The Robbie Tournament victory back in October. Transfer Thienna Huynh finished tied for first at The Robbie for the first tournament win of her career. Huynh finished with five Top-20 finishes, second most on the team behind Carmen Griffiths. Griffiths led the team with six Top-20 finishes and 11 rounds at par or better.
In the summer of 2024, Young received a five-year contract extension that goes through the 2029 season. Young was also named to the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame as part of their Class of 2024 in June.
In the 2023-24 season, Carmen Griffiths had another strong season and so did graduate student Hana Ryskova. Between the two of them, they totaled nine Top-20 finishes, 30 rounds at par or better and 10 rounds in the 60's. Ryskova had the highest individual finish with third place at the Boilermaker Classic. The par both advanced to the NCAA Regionals as individuals and Ryskova finished tied for 16th overall, her fourth Top-20 finish on the year.
During the 2022-23 season, the Cardinals were paced by Griffiths and her strong fall season. She picked up her first collegiate victory at the Olde Stone Intercollegiate after firing a 2-under par, 214. She carded two more Top-5 finishes in the fall at the Blessings Intercollegiate and Schooner Classic and the had a Top-10 finish at the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Classic. She was the lone Cardinal that advanced as an individual to the NCAA Regional round later in May.
In her third season with the Cardinals, Young has continued to set the bar high for her players and the program. The 2021-22 team qualified for the NCAA Albuquerque Regional, finishing in in a tie for seventh overall at regionals.
Individually, Kendall Griffin placed third overall at the ACC Championship and tied with teammate Mairead Martin for 17th place at the NCAA Albuquerque Regionals. Griffin also earned All-ACC Academic Honors for her efforts on the course as well as in the classroom.
Young mentored Lauren Thibodeau to become the 2022 WGCA Division I Kim Moore Spirit Award winner, the 2022 Honda Inspiration Award Winner, and a WGCA All-American Scholar.
Playing a condensed spring season in 2020, Young's second year wasn't short on accomplishments.
The Cardinals hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history and finished the tournament in 11th place after entering the final round in fourth place.
Despite not qualifying as a team, Young saw senior Lauren Hartlage advance to the NCAA Championships as an individual where she finished in a tie for 12th place.
Hartlage moved up all the way in to second place after two rounds at the championship before finishing as the fourth-highest individual. The native of Elizabethtown, Ky., qualified for the Palmer Cup Team and became the school's first four-time All-ACC selection. She also closed her career by being named a second team WGCA and Golfweek second team All-American.
While her first season was cut short due to the global pandemic, Young continued to build the program to be one of the most consistent in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Playing in only six events, the Cardinals posted three top-three finishes, including capturing the Cardinal Cup -- her first win as head coach of the Cardinals.
Individually, Young mentored Lauren Hartlage to become only the program's fourth All-American after she was honored as a WGCA Honorable Mention. The senior set a new UofL single-season record with a 71.53 stroke average in 17 rounds. She is the first Louisville golfer to average below par for a season, and returns as the school's career stroke average leader.
A three-time National Golf Coaches Association All-American and four-time First Team All-SEC honoree, Young began her career at Louisville as an assistant under then head coach Courtney Trimble in July of 2017. Young was hired to replace Trimble following her retirement.
The Glasgow, Kentucky, native came to Louisville after spending four seasons at Georgia, where she helped the program to three appearances at the NCAA Regional Championships, including a regional title in 2016 that led to an automatic berth at the NCAA Championships. She assisted the Bulldogs to six Women's Golf Coaches Association All-America distinctions and seven all-conference selections, including the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Young enjoyed an exceptional collegiate playing career at Georgia that included three top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. She aided the Bulldogs to 10 team tournament titles, most notably the 2007 SEC Championship. She is one of just three Georgia and seven SEC golfers to earn first team all-SEC honors four times.
Statistically, Young compiled the sixth-best career stroke average in Georgia history. She clubbed a 74.21 over 129 rounds, posting scores even or below par in 32 rounds. She had six rounds in the 60s.
Upon her graduation from Georgia with a degree in speech communications, Young continued her playing career in the professional ranks. She registered nine top-10 finishes in 47 starts on the FUTURES Tour from 2008-10. In 2009, Young won the Duramed Tour Championship with a 9-under-par 204. That same season, she finished sixth on the FUTURES Tour money list to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2010 campaign.
Additionally, Young competed in three U.S. Open events. She qualified for her first Open during her high school playing career in 2003 and later earned spots in 2008 and 2011.
Before her collegiate career, Young compiled a remarkable junior career. She was a four-time AJGA Polo Golf All-American, with first-team honors in 2002. She had eight victories, with an additional eight top-10 finishes in 23 AJGA and national events between 1999-03. She represented the United States on the PING Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2002.
Young made national news by representing Glasgow High at the 1994 Kentucky State Championships as a fourth-grader. She became the youngest winner of the Kentucky Amateur, achieving the feat as a 13-year-old in 1998. She won the 1999 and 2000 titles as well.
Formerly Whitney Wade, she is married to Chase Young, who is an agent for State Farm. The couple has one son, Jackson.
