Laura Nepper climbed 24 spots to No. 57 in the latest Scoreboard Powered by Clippd women’s golf rankings. Nepper leads the University of South Florida women’s golf team, which remains in the top 50 at No. 45. The rankings were updated Wednesday.
Nepper tied for ninth at the Landfall Tradition after leading the Bulls with a score of 220, or 4 over par. She finished ahead of 26 ranked golfers, including players ranked No. 11, No. 16, No. 18, No. 26, No. 32 and No. 33 in the NCAA. The finish was her second top-10 result of the season.
Nepper has finished inside the top 25 in every tournament
Nepper’s best finish this season came at the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate, where she tied for fourth. She has shot a career-low 68 twice and has finished inside the top 25 in every tournament this season. Through three tournaments, she is averaging 72.44 strokes per round.
Nepper has recorded two rounds in the 60s and four rounds of par or better. She also has a team-high 23 birdies and one eagle in three tournaments. South Florida has finished in the top 10 in two tournaments this season.
South Florida will return in February
AJ Newell is entering her third season as South Florida’s head coach. In her first season, Newell coached Leonor Medeiros to the American All-Conference Team and guided the Bulls to four top-10 finishes during the 2024-25 season. Before South Florida, Newell spent three years as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan.
At Michigan, Newell helped guide the Wolverines to three straight NCAA Regional appearances, a 2022 Big Ten title and the 2022 NCAA Championship Finals. South Florida will return to action in 2027 at the PDI Intercollegiate at UCF. The event is scheduled for Feb. 1.
FSB Take
Nepper’s move to No. 57 gives South Florida a nationally ranked individual leader, while the Bulls’ No. 45 position keeps the team in the top 50. Her top-25 finishes in every tournament and South Florida’s two top-10 results provide measurable benchmarks for the program before its next scheduled event at UCF.
Source: Original report