Maggie Whitehead has verbally committed to join the University of Virginia’s women’s golf team in 2024.
Maggie – a member of the England girls’ squad – is set to take up a full scholarship in the US in autumn 2024 following completion of her A Levels.
“I’m very excited to share the news I’ll be heading to Virginia,” said Maggie. “Studying and playing in America has been a big goal for such a long time. While it’s been a long process and I’m relieved I’ve got through it all, I’m also very happy with the result.”
A member of Close House and Ramside, Maggie has been part of two Junior Vagliano Trophy teams and won the English Girls’ Under 16 in 2021. She will join the Virginia Cavaliers women’s golf team – who are coached by head coach Ria Scott and assistant head coach Marissa Majors, with support from Dr Bob Rotella and AimPoint founder Mark Sweeney. They are currently ranked 14th out of 265 schools in the NCAA Division One rankings.
“Ria was a huge part of why I chose Virginia,” added Maggie, who visited a number of colleges and received several offers in recent months. “As soon as I visited Virginia in February, I knew it was where I wanted to go. I knew Ria had been following me and she was so enthusiastic about bringing me into the team. Once I met the girls on the team and they told me what it was like being coached by Ria and Marissa, and they were so enthusiastic too, I couldn’t accept the formal offer fast enough.”
While heading to Virginia is still a while off, Maggie is excited for what’s coming up this season in the UK and overseas.
“It’s a good feeling to have the pressure of getting a college offer behind me.
“This season, I’d love to get a big win at under-18 level, and there are a lot of teams events I’d really like to be selected for – including the Home Internationals and the World Teams Championship.
“There’s so much to look forward to individually too, and I’m excited to have an invitation to the ANNIKA Invitational Europe in Sweden in June. It’ll be another busy year of golf and I can’t wait to get started.”
