Ole Miss women’s golf head coach Kory Henkes named SEC coach of the year, three Rebels earn conference honors

Ole Miss women’s golf head coach Kory Henkes has been named SEC Coach of the Year for the first time in the school’s history, the conference announced on Thursday.

In addition, under Henkes’ guidance in 2019/20, Julia Johnson was selected to the All-SEC first team, Kennedy Swann received second team honors, and Andrea Lignell earned a spot on the all-freshman team.

Johnson became the first Rebel to earn first-team All-Conference recognition since 2009 after putting down the lowest single-season stroke average in program history and finishing top-15 in every match this season. She finished the season ranked No. 22 in Golfstat’s player rankings.

Swann was not far back from Johnson and recorded the second-lowest single-season stroke average in program history of 71.39, and finished no worse than 17th in any event all season. The Clemson transfer finished fourth in the conference in scoring after her first full year at Ole Miss and will use her fifth-year of eligibility to return for the 2020/21 season.

Lignell casually put up a 72.20, the third-lowest single-season stroke average in program history, right behind Johnson and Swann. The Gothenburg, Sweden native ended the season with the fifth-ranked stroke average by a freshman in the SEC.

As a team, the Rebels ended the season ranked No. 11 in the WGCA Coaches Poll, No. 12 in Golfstat’s team rankings, and No. 13 on Golfweek’s national rankings. All three rankings were the best in program history and Ole Miss set a program record for single-round average on the season with 284.22 strokes— which also led the SEC in scoring.

Henkes’ squad finished no worse than a tie for third over the entire year and broke another school record with four team titles in a season after capping the 2019-20 campaign with a win at the Moon Golf Invitational.

The Swingin’ Sharks stay saucy and it starts at the top with the SEC Coach of the Year.