University of North Carolina - Greensboro Women's Golf

Ashley Leonard was named head coach of the women's golf program in August 2019. The 2024-25 campaign will mark her sixth season.  In 2023-24, UNCG racked up four top-five finishes this season. The Spartans tied for second at the Elon Women's Invitational to begin the season for its best mark of the year. Under Leonard, two golfers from UNCG eventually landed in the top-15 individually at the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament at Moss Creek Gold Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Ava Romfo finished tied for 10th overall while Grace Holcomb checked in at a tie for 13th. For Romfo, it marked her second straight season appearing in the top 10 after previously finishing in a tie for eighth. The 2022-23 campaign saw the Spartans total three second-place finishes in regular season tournaments, including its own Grandover Invitational in September, the Pirate Invitational hosted by East Carolina in October and then the Golfweek/AGT Intercollegiate in March. Overall, the Spartans had seven top-four finishes out of nine total tournaments throughout the year. For the first time since 2018, two UNCG golfers were named to All-Southern Conference teams. Holcomb earned a spot on the SoCon All-Conference team after leading UNCG with an average of 75.30 strokes in 23 rounds of play. Additionally, Julia Baeumken earned a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman team after averaging 75.95 strokes in 20 rounds on the season. Leonard led the 2021-22 team to a top-five finish at the Pinetree Women's Collegiate and a sixth-place finish at the Grandover Invitational. The Spartans placed seventh at the SoCon Championship, as graduate student Tara Bettle was named to the All-Southern Conference Team and had the highest finish, tying for 17th at the championship shooting five-over 221 (73-80-77). Bettle also was selected to compete in her first NCAA Regional, traveling to Franklin, Tennessee to play at the Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course. She is the first Spartan since Fanny Cnops, who was selected in 2012 and 2013.  During the shortened 2020-21 season, Leonard led the program to three top-five team finishes, including a season-best third-place mark at the Pinehurst Women's Intercollegiate. At the same tournament, senior Tara Bettle claimed the individual title and later went on to earn All-Southern Conference team honors after finishing the season ranked third overall in the conference with a 73.59 stroke average.  The Spartans competed in just six tournaments before the 2019-20 season was ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The side was runner-up finishers at the Starmount Fall Classic, where Tara Bettle took the individual title. Bettle also grabbed an individual win during the William & Mary Kingsmill Collegiate, where the Spartans finished in a tie for fifth as a team. Leonard spent the previous eight years with the Barton College men’s and women’s golf programs, including the last six as head coach for both teams. She also held the title of Assistant Athletic Director since 2017. “We are excited to announce North Carolina native Ashley Leonard as our women’s golf head coach,” said Director of Athletics Kim Record. "Her Barton teams have been recognized for their sportsmanship, academic success and competitiveness and she brings a wealth of knowledge to our program." “I am truly honored to be the next women’s golf head coach at UNCG,” Leonard said. “I would like to thank Kim Record, Tim George and Chancellor Gilliam for this incredible opportunity. I am excited to get to campus and go to work with our young ladies. They all seem very eager and ready to work. I am looking forward to the season and watching our young ladies improve everyday. I would also like to say thank you to Barton College and Athletic Director Todd Wilkinson for all of his support and leadership.” Leading Barton To Success During her time at Barton, Leonard guided the golf programs to nine tournament victories and 10 runner-up finishes. On the men’s side, Leonard led the team to fourth or better in the league championship four times, including three-straight runner-up finishes between 2017-2019. She was named the 2018 Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. In total, Leonard led 11 players to all-conference honors along with two players selected as Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and one Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year selection. Additionally, three men’s players qualified for NCAA Regionals during her time as Barton’s head coach. Academically, Leonard had 10 players named to the Academic All-American team. The men’s team also collected the All-American Scholars team award four times (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018). The women’s team, meanwhile, was recognized by Conference Carolinas with the Spring Team Sportsmanship Award twice. In her role as Assistant Athletic Director, Leonard assisted with day-to-day operations of the department while being tasked with securing sponsors for the Bulldog Club and reviewing financial reports. A Decorated Golf Career A native of North Carolina, Leonard won three-straight individual state championships between 1996-98 and finished runner-up in 1999 while at Northern Nash High School. Leonard was a three-time All-Big East performer and was the league's Golfer of the Year in 1999 and 2000. She was the 1998 North and South Junior Champion, played in the 1999 USGA Junior Girls Championship and the 2000 USGA Women's Amateur Public Links Championship. She was Northern Nash's 2000 Female Athlete of the Year, when she won the Triple Crown Award for Academics, Athletics and Character. She was also an AJGA Polo Junior Honorable Mention All-American in 1999. Leonard received her B.S. in Business Administration from East Carolina in 2004.  

Howland had been the associate head womens golf coach at Ole Miss for four years and spent eight years as a professional golfer. During her time in Oxford, Howland helped the Rebels to three NCAA Regional appearances in four seasons. Last season, Ole Miss sent an individual to the NCAA Regionals as Abby Newton finished 36th  in Tallahassee. The Rebels had three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Regionals during Howlands first three years, heading to Daytona Beach in 2011 (14 th place), Columbus in 2012 (13 th place) and Auburn in 2013 (18 th place). During her time at Ole Miss, Howland has handled a variety of aspects of the program and specializes in the short game area of womens golf. She created a Big Break Rebel Style short game competition for her student-athletes and is a certified AimPoint Putting Green Reading Instructor. Additionally, she has served as the Tournament Director for the Rebel Intercollegiate Tournament. Prior to Ole Miss, Howland worked for a year as a volunteer assistant coach at UNCW, helping Sofia Hagsund to an NCAA East Regional appearance. A two-time (2005, 2009) member of the LPGA Tour and an eight member of the LPGA Duramed Futures Tour (currently Symetra Tour), Howland has taken part in more than 120 events and has posted 11 top-10 finishes. Her career best finish came at the 2007 Louisiana Pelican Classic where she earned medalist honors. She ranks in the top 50 among the tours career money winners and participated in the 2008 U.S. Womens Open. Howland began her collegiate career at Trine University (Tri-State University) and led the squad to the 1997 NAIA Womens Golf National Championship. She won individual medalist honors at the 1998 Manchester Championship and posted a runner-up finish at the Tri-State Championship. After two seasons at Trine, Howland transferred to Lamar University and continued to enjoy success on the links. She won the Sam Houston State Championship and the Springlake Championship in 1999. She earned her degree in business administration marketing in 2000 from Lamar. After college, Howland won the 2001 Bermuda Match Play Championship. She also dominated womens amateur golf in Idaho, winning both the Womens Stroke Play and Match Play Championships in 2001 and 2002 before turning pro in October of 2002. She was a leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) on the Duramed Tour from 2004-2010. - UNCG -

Lori Beth Adams was named assistant head coach of the women's golf program in August 2025.     Before being hired at UNCG, Adams was the women’s golf assistant at Elon from 2021-25. While with the Phoenix, she organized practice, instructed players and coordinated logistics for the team.  Adams received full LPGA status in 2019 after ranking 15th on the Symetra Money List after the 2018 season. During that season, she finished tied for third at the Tour Championship of the Symetra Tour.     On the amateur level, Adams qualified for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and was the second ever player in UNCW program history to qualify for The Open. Finished third place in the 2015 South Atlantic Women’s Amateur in 2015. She finished in third place at the 2015 South Atlantic Women’s Amateur in 2015 and runner-up in the 2014 North South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst. Adams was the first UNCW Player in program history to make the semi-finals of the event.  Finished Top 5 in Women’s Eastern Amateur Championship for both 2013 and 20  The Burlington, North Carolina, native was a four-year starter for the UNCW Seahawks from 2010-2014.  During her time in Wilmington, she finished nine collegiate tournaments in the Top five, had four Collegiate Top 10 Tournament finishes and achieved four Top 15 tournament finishes. She also won the 2014 Seahawk Classic shooting a 74, 71, 72 on three days of action. Adams was an eight-time Women’s CAA Golfer-of-the-Week and was the first UNCW Player in school history to receive two individual NCAA Golf Regional invitations. She was named Conference CAA Player-of-the-Year in the 2012-13 season where she posted three Top 10 and two Top five results in the season. She was the fourth player in UNCW program history to participate in four NCAA Regional Championships. Adams holds the record for the second-lowest career stroke average in UNCW program History.    Adams received her Bachelor's of Science in Parks & Recreation Management/Health and Applied Science with a concentration in Leadership in 2014. 

Kotso comes to UNCG after spending the last six years working in various aspects of golf in the state of Indiana.