Consistent w. golf readies for NCAAs
By Hye Kwon
Daily Bruin Staff
After a strong showing at the Pac-10 Championships, every member
of the UCLA women’s golf team has moved up in the individual
rankings.
In the latest rankings compiled by Golf Stat Incorporated, the
Bruins as a team are ranked fifth in the nation. Individually,
Jennifer Choi is ranked 26th and Jeong-Min Park is ranked 30th.
They are followed by Kathy Choi (34th), Betty Chen (41st) and
Eunice Choi (94th).
"We have the most consistent team in the country," UCLA head
coach Jackie Tobian-Steinmann said. "We have a lot of depth and
that’s good because if one screws up a little, it’s not a big
deal."
Since starting the season with two straight tournament victories
at the BYU Classic and New Mexico Invitationals, the Bruins have
been consistently finishing in the top five at each tournament. The
Bruins have been especially impressive in the last three
tournaments, and that’s good news for Tobian-Steinmann because NCAA
Western Regionals are just around the corner.
Going back to the Pac-10 Championships, the three-day score of
297-297-297 was the best mark of the season. In fact, it was the
first time the Bruins have shot under-300 for three straight
days.
"We’re headed in the right direction," Tobian-Steinmann said. "I
think we’re about where we were at the beginning of the season.
Maybe a little better."
* * *
At the NCAA Western Regionals, which will be held at Tucson,
Ariz. this year, the Bruins will be trying to accomplish the
monumental task of defeating No. 1 Arizona State.
At the Pac-10 Championships, the Sun Devils ran away from the
rest of the pack with a score of 858. That was a whopping 33
strokes better than the second-place Bruins.
"Arizona State is darn good," Tobian-Steinmann said. "It’s not
that we’re not capable of shooting the same average, but they have
players who shoot in the 60s. Anytime you have a player shoot in
the 60s, the team score will go way down."
Sun Devil All-American Wendy Ward finished first at the Pac-10s
with a 5-under-par performance, but the best one-day performance
was turned in by Kellee Booth. Booth put up a score of 66, which
was the course record at Trysting Tree Country Club.
Tobian-Steinmann, however, is optimistic that the Bruins are
capable of upsetting the Sun Devils.
"Nobody’s unbeatable," Tobian-Steinmann said. "If everyone on
our team does their best, we can beat Arizona State."