Chiara Tamburlini Named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ole Miss women's golf senior Chiara Tamburlini was recognized as the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year at the conclusion of the third round of the SEC Championship, the conference announced on Friday.

This marks the first time an Ole Miss women's golfer has claimed SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year status since 2016, when Abby Newton came away with the honor in her senior season with the Rebels.

"I've always put a lot of work in when it comes to my classes as well as on the golf course," Tamburlini said. "Just to be able to be rewarded for all the hard work and the late nights is just really fun for me."

"My priority has always been school. I golf and that's just as important, but I would never just let school or my grades slip just for golf. I've always loved the grind and learning new things so this is really special."

"This is something Chiara has always strived for," head coach Kory Henkes said. "She has always worked hard in the classroom and she's just so deserving, so I'm just glad that she's finally getting recognized for all of her hard work."

In what is now her fourth year with the Ole Miss women's golf team, Chiara Tamburlini has cemented herself as an influential figure both on and off the course for the Rebels in her time in Oxford as she was named the 2023 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Academically, Tamburlini has garnered a 3.97 cumulative GPA as she aims to graduate Summa Cum Laude later this May with her bachelor's in finance, as well as a minor in mathematics.

The St. Gallen, Switzerland, native has also been recognized as a 2023 Taylor Medal nominee. The Taylor Medal serves as the highest academic honor conferred by the University of Mississippi and it is only awarded to less than one percent of the Ole Miss student body on an annual basis. The medal is awarded to students who are nominated for outstanding scholarship in their particular field combined with superior work in all other subjects. To be eligible, a student must have a GPA of 3.90 or higher and completed at least 105 hours of overall course credit.

Tamburlini has received countless academic accolades over her four years with the Rebels from the university, the SEC and the WGCA. These honors include being named the first Rebel to ever receive the Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award in 2022, which is awarded to the person who received WGCA All-American and WGCA All-American Scholar designations while having the highest GPA on the academic year. She has earned WGCA All-American Scholar status every year for the Rebels, along with finding a place on the Chancellor's Honor Roll and SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her four years at Ole Miss.

Tamburlini helped the Rebels reach a new benchmark as a WGCA All-Scholar Team in 2022, with the team's GPA of 3.89 earning them a new program-best mark of third in the nation. This marked the second consecutive season that Tamburlini and the Rebels ranked in the Top 10 nationally in the WGCA All-Scholar Team rankings. For their efforts, the women's golf team also received the 2022 Chancellor's Cup, which is awarded annually at Ole Miss to the women's athletic program with the highest GPA in the department.

Tamburlini has also been a force for the Rebels on the course, with the defending WGCA First-Team All-American currently posting a stroke average of 72.45 on the 2022-23 season, which would mark a new career-best stroke average for her in a single season. Tamburlini has grabbed two Top 5 finishes on the year at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational (T3rd) and the Valspar Augusta Invitational (T3rd), along with tying her career-low 18-hole round of 66 (-5) at the Battle at the Beach. Tamburlini has claimed Top 20 finishes in 19 of her last 20 tournament appearances dating back to the 2021 NCAA Championships where the streak began.

The Switzerland native has also found her way into the Ole Miss record book, currently ranking second all-time in career par or better rounds (36) and in career rounds in the 60s (13). The senior currently ranks fourth all-time in career Top 10 finishes for the Rebels, with 15 over her four-year playing career with five of those coming this season.

Tamburlini earned spots on both the Preseason Watch List and the Final Fall Watch List for the 2023 ANNIKA Award earlier this season, and she also was a participant at the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur.

For all Ole Miss women's golf latest news and information, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf, on Instagram at OleMissWGolf and on Facebook at Ole Miss Women's Golf. General athletic news can also be found at @OleMissSports on Twitter, Ole Miss Sports on Facebook, and OleMissAthletics on Instagram.

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Chiara Tamburlini

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