HIGH POINT, N.C. — Fresh off the program's first Big South Conference championship and NCAA Regional appearance, the High Point University women's golf team is ready to kick off the 2026-27 season.
The Panthers begin the new campaign at the Golfweek Fall Challenge for the third season in a row in Pawleys Island, S.C. The highly-touted, 54-hole tournament features 24 teams over three days with 18 holes per day.
"I'm really excited to get this season started! I believe this team has the potential to be even stronger than last year, with six returners from our championship team and an exciting group of freshmen joining us," HPU Head Coach
Lyndsey Hunnell said. "We had a strong finish at this event last year, earning runner-up, so I know the girls are excited to get back out on this course. It's a really fun course with a lot of opportunities to score, and I think it will be a great way to start the season."
1.
Anna Howerton
2.
Makayla Grubb
3.
Eva Lye
4.
Rachel Joyce
5.
Anais Arafi
Participants: High Point University, Miami, Mercer, Old Dominion, UNC Asheville, Lipscomb, Queens, Troy, UNC Wilmington, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UNC Greensboro, Radford, ETSU, USC Upstate, Morehead State, Presbyterian, Memphis, Central Arkansas, Campbell, Austin Peay, Stetson, Stephen F. Austin
September 6-8, 2026
Site: Pawleys Island, S.C.
Course: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Par/Yardage: 71/6032
Live Scoring
HPU has fared well at the Golfweek Fall Challenge since debuting at the tournament in 2024. The Panthers finished tied for fourth in 2024 before earning a runner-up finish last season and now head back for the third straight season.
The Panthers' lineup is comprised of four returners from the 2026 Big South Championship team and one newcomer.
Anna Howerton enters her senior season as a three-time Big South First-Team All-Conference golfer and 2026 Carolinas Match Play Champion. She was named the Big South Freshman of the Year (2024) and Big South Golfer of the Year (2025), while clinching the Panthers' conference semifinal match play win to advance the team to the finals in the spring of 2026, where HPU defeated UNC Asheville 3-2 for the first title ever.
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Anna Howerton had an incredible summer, capped off by being crowned the Carolinas Match Play Champion," Hunnell said. "She is ready to lead this team again as a second-year captain. Anna has big dreams and goals for this team, and I have complete trust in her leadership to help guide this group and make us even stronger."
Makayla Grubb is the reigning 2026 Big South Freshman of the Year while earning First-Team All-Conference, All-Freshman Team, and All-Championship team honors. She earned nine Big South weekly awards, broke four records throughout her rookie campaign, and won a match during the conference finals to help win the program's first trophy. Over the summer, she became the first women's golfer to make the top-64 cut at the U.S. Amateur following medalist honors at the USGA Women's Am Qualifier.
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Makayla Grubb continues to impress me with her consistency and the way she continues to lower her scores," Hunnell said. "She had the opportunity to compete on some big stages this summer and gained valuable experience that will make her an even sharper competitor this season."
Eva Lye was named to the Big South All-Championship Team and All-Freshman Team as she earned Big South Second-Team All-Conference honors. She won four weekly Big South awards during her rookie season and won a critical match in the finals to help secure the Panthers' first trophy.
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Eva Lye continues to amaze me with her composure and mental toughness," Hunnell said. "She plays for her team, and that is her biggest driving force to continue getting better. She wants to help her teammates in any way she can, and the steadiness she brings to her game is contagious. When her teammates see her out there competing, it helps settle and give confidence to everyone around her."
Anais Arafi, who clinched the program's first title after a 22-hole sudden-death playoff, enters her junior year with Big South Freshman of the Year (2025) honors while earning All-Freshman Team, Second-Team All-Conference, Honorable-Mention, and All-Academic Team nods through two seasons. This summer, she was crowned the medalist at the Memorial Olivier Barras Women's Am in her home country of Switzerland.
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Anais Arafi is ready to build off the strong finish she had last season," Hunnell said. "She put together a lot of under-par rounds this summer, and her confidence has grown tremendously. She is eager to get the season started and has stepped into a captain role this year. I'm excited to see how she continues to grow as a leader and the impact she has on this team."
Rachel Joyce joins the returners after a successful prep career, where she was a four-time NCHSA Team State Champion (2022-2025) and NCHSA Individual State Champion (2025). Joyce also won the Kathrine Perry-Hamski PKBGT (2026).
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Rachel Joyce is pumped to compete as a Panther," Hunnell said. "She made so much improvement throughout the past year, and I can't wait to see what she can do on the collegiate stage. She has worked hard to get to this point, and I think she is ready to make her mark."
Grubb, Howerton, Lye and Arafi have all played at the Caledonia & Fish Club as Joyce will make her collegiate debut on Sunday.
"Overall, I'm really excited about this group," Hunnell said. "We have a great mix of experience, leadership and new energy, and I think this team is hungry to build on what we accomplished last season. We're ready to get to work and see what we can accomplish together."
#GoHPU
