Kaylee Benton - Women's Golf - Arkansas Razorbacks

Kaylee Benton

Sr. | 5-4 | Buckeye, Ariz. | Verrado HS / UNLV

COLLEGIATE HONORS
WGCA Second-Team All-American | 2019
Golfweek Third-Team All-American | 2019
First-Team All-SEC | 2019
WGCA All-American Scholar | 2019
MWC Freshman of the Year | 2016
MWC First-Team | 2016
U.S. Women’s Open | 2018

2018-19 BESTS
Low Round: 69 (4x), Most recent: Round three of the SEC Championship (April 19, 2019)
Low Tournament: 213, Most recent: 69-73-71 at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (March 8-10, 2019)
Best Finish: T-Second, 214 at the SEC Championship (April 17-19, 2019)

ARKANSAS COLLEGIATE BESTS
Low Round: 67 (Second and third rounds of the Maryb S. Kauth UTSA Invitational, Oct. 24-25, 2016)
Low Tournament: 206 (72-67-67 at UTSA Maryb S. Kauth Invitational. Oct. 23-25, 2016)
Best Finish: Second (206 at UTSA Maryb S. Kauth Invitational. Oct. 23-25, 2016)

AS A SENIOR (2018-19)
First-Team All-SEC … WGCA Second-Team All-American … Golfweek Third-Team All American …  Finished tied for second at the 2019 SEC Championship … Recorded a 72.62 stroke average in 2018-19, the lowest of her career … Finished three events during her senior season in the top-5, the most of her career … Her 73.47 career scoring average is the seventh-best mark in Razorback Women’s Golf history … Finished her career with 37 rounds at or under par, the eighth-most in program history.

AS A JUNIOR (2017-18)
Competed in every event and counted 79.4% of her rounds toward the team total … Won the deciding match on the 18th hole helping Arkansas to the program’s first-ever Southeastern Conference title … Was one of four players to finish in the top-4 leading the team to the program’s first NCAA Regional title in Austin … Three rounds in the 60s shooting a 68 in the second round at the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, the Evans-Derby Experience and the NCAA Austin Regional Championship … Was Arkansas’ low woman in two rounds this year on days two and three of the NCAA Regional Championship.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2016-17)
Jumped into lineup and competed in all four fall events in her first semester with Arkansas … Finished second at the UTSA Maryb S. Kauth Invitational shooting an Arkansas’ best 72-67-67=206 … Finished the fall with seven rounds of par or better … Posted a 72.50 stroke average in the fall … Finished season playing in all 10 events … Was Arkansas’ top finisher in two of the last three tournaments … Finished second at the UTSA Maryb S. Kauth Invitational … Was third at the Liz Murphey in a single round of stroke play.

FROM SHAUNA ESTES-TAYLOR
I was sitting at my computer working on our summer recruiting schedule and an email from Kaylee Benton popped up. We had initially recruited Kaylee when she was in Cabot and then she decided to stay closer to home once her family moved to Arizona. Mike (Adams, assistant coach) and I had always tracked her progress as we always do with Arkansas players. I knew it was meant to be when I saw that email I had received was a release for her transfer. Kaylee is a well-rounded student-athlete that will add even more depth to our roster. She completed a very solid freshman season at UNLV and was named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. She is a tremendous young woman who embraces excellence in all that she does. We feel lucky to get this second chance to have her on our team and I know she will embrace us and will add to our “Do The Possible” culture that we have created.

UNLV CAREER
MWC Freshman of the Year … Selected to the MWC First-Team … Finished second in the MWC stats with a 73.17 stroke average … Top-ranking freshman in the MWC … Four top-10 finishes as a freshman … Runner-up finish shooting 209 at the Bison at Boulder Creek II … Collegiate best round of 208 at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown …Five career rounds in the 60’s and 16 rounds of par or better in her first season.

HIGH SCHOOL
A 2015 graduate of Verrado High School in Buckeye, Arizona … Ranked 14th among Class of 2015 in AJGA Polo Rankings and 39th overall … Named a four-time All-State selection … Won Division II state girls individual title with a 4-under par 140 as a senior … Collected over 40 victories in Arkansas and Arizona with four AJGA Top 3’s and nine Top 10’s; including a win at the Ryan Moore AJGA in Las Vegas.

PERSONAL
Kaylee Jade Benton was born May 17, 1997, in Jackson, Tennessee … Daughter of Shelley and Jeff Benton who played baseball at Central Arkansas … Brothers Nicklaus and Colby played golf at Arkansas Little-Rock … Grandfather Bob played basketball at Ole Miss … Great-grandfather Jim was an All-American at Arkansas, NFL All-Pro Team and All-Decade Team of the 1930’s … Major is undeclared … Chose UNLV over eight other schools.

 

Senior (2018-19)      
TournamentDate(s)RoundsScoresParPlaceW-L
Cougar ClassicSept. 9-11, 2018270-73=143-1T2478-23
ANNIKA IntercollegiateSept. 17-19, 2018377-69-74=220+4T3723-36
The Landfall TraditionOct. 26-28, 2018375-69-73=217+1T387-2
Lady Puerto Rico ClassicFeb. 10-12, 2019371-73-73=217+1T774-6
Darius Rucker IntercollegiateMarch 8-10, 2019369-73-71=213ET585-4
Evans-Derby ExperienceMarch 23-25, 2019372-73-74=219+3T1275-11
SEC ChampionshipApril 17-19, 2019372-73-69=214-2T268-1
NCAA Washington RegionalMay 6-8, 2019370-75-73=218+2T1779-16
NCAA ChampionshipMay 17-21, 2019374-73-80=227+8T2991-28
Junior (2017-18)       
TournamentDate(s)RoundsScoresParPlaceW-L
Mason Rudolph ChampionshipSept. 15-17, 2017374-75-72=221+5T5223-51 (.311)
ANNIKA IntercollegiateOct. 1-3, 2017376-78-74=288+12T4119-40 (.322)
Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel InvitationalOct. 13-15, 2017374-71-72=217+1T3264-31 (.673)
Maryb S. Kauth InvitationalOct. 22-24, 2017377-68-75=220+4T2153-20 (.726)
Lady Puerto Rico ClassicFeb. 11-13, 2018378-77-73=228+15T2046-19 (.708)
Darius Rucker IntercollegiateMarch 2-4, 2018376-79-71=226+13T4050-39 (.562)
Evans-Derby ExperienceMarch 18-20, 2018372-68-72=212-4T966-8 (.892)
Liz Murphey Collegiate ClassicApril 13-14, 2018371-71-77=219+3T1754-16 (.771)
SEC ChampionshipApril 18-22, 2018381-78-74=233+17T4921-48 (.304)
Match 1April 21, 2018def. Addison Baggarly (Fla.)3 & 2
Match 2April 21, 2018def. Lakareber Abe (Ala.)3 & 2
Match 3April 22, 2018def. Ainhoa Olarra (SC) (Clinching match)1-up
NCAA Regional ChampionshipMay 7-9, 2018372-68-72=212-4T492-3
NCAA ChampionshipMay 18-21, 2018477-76-72-70=295+7T3691-35
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2016-17)      
TournamentDateRoundsScoresParRankW-L
ANNIKA Intercollegiate9/25-27/2016372-69-75=216Et27th/6033-26
Powerade Cougar Classic10/2-4/2016374-74-80=22812t89th/10819-88
Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational10/14-16/2016372-70-78=2204t22nd/9674-21
UTSA Maryb S. Kauth Invitational10/23-25/2016372-67-67=206-102nd/7573-1
Lady Puerto Rico Classic2/12-14/2017373-71-77=2215t18th/8062-17
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate3/3-5/2017377-76-78=23118t61st/9029-60
LSU Tiger Classic3/24-26/2017374-77-77=22812t40th/9050-39
Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic4/7-9/2017171-13rd/6057-2
SEC Championship4/21-23/2017373-70-69=212-4t7th/7063-6
NCAA Columbus Regional5/8-10/2017377-77-79=23317t51st/9645-50
SEASON TOTALS282066 Avg. 73.792-505-310
SeasonRoundsStrokesLo72Lo54Lo36Lo18LoRndPar/-EventsTop 1Top 5Top 10W-LWLPctAvg
2016-17282066-206-67671110-23460-2600.63973.79
2017-1834251129521214968681511-12579-3100.65173.85
2018-19261888-2131436969119-34660-1270.83972.62
Totals88646529520614367673730-691744-7470.70073.47