The greens are mown. The fairways are cut. The rough is trimmed.
The sand traps are raked.
All that’s left to do is play ball, or as they say in
golf, tee off.
Nestled in the trees of nearby Somis, Calif., Saticoy Country
Club will play host to the 2004 Women’s Golf Pac-10
Championships, which begins this morning.
“The course is really tough,” said UCLA coach Carrie
Forsyth of Saticoy, known for its thick rough and slick,
“glass table” greens. “We’re excited to be
hosting it, but there’s a little sense of nervousness. We
can’t take anything for granted.”
After a tremendous spring season, in which they won three of
four events, the No. 2 Bruins will look to play the role of rude
hosts and claim their fourth title of the year and their first
Pac-10 title since 1991.
And as always, home-course advantage has its perks.
While the other nine Pac-10 teams can only play the course 10
days in advance to the championship, UCLA’s players have had
the luxury of playing the course throughout the year.
“That will definitely help,” Forsyth said.
Junior and team leader Charlotte Mayorkas, currently ranked the
No. 2 women’s collegiate golfer in the country, according to
Golfweek Magazine, has taken advantage of the unique
opportunity.
Mayorkas played two practice rounds last week, which on top of
the numerous other times she’s walked the grounds, gives her
and her teammates a distinct advantage.
“I’m just trying to be (Saticoy’s)
friend,” said Mayorkas, who has three individual titles to
her name this year. “We’re going to go out there and
pretend it’s our home course.”
Joining Mayorkas on the Bruins’ five-player squad is
freshman Hannah Jun, sophomore Susie Mathews and seniors Krystal
Shearer and Gina Umeck. In each round, the four best scores will
count toward the overall team total.
When the Bruins step up to the first tee this morning, they will
have more than just the slight pressure of defending their home
turf.
A victory would not only give the team momentum heading into the
NCAA Championships, but it would also solidify UCLA as the premier
team in the conference, one of the team’s goals from the
onset of the season.
“I’m a tad nervous,” Mayorkas said. “We
have a lot of high hopes for this tournament, and it’s
finally here. I pretty much expect everyone to step up.”
While national top-15 teams California (No. 4), USC (No. 9),
Arizona (No. 11) and Washington (No. 13) all pose legitimate
threats, the consensus is that it’s the Bruins’
tournament to lose.
“We’ve had a lot of success against the other Pac-10
schools, and there’s a slight mental advantage in
that,” Forsyth said. “I think we are the best team, but
we’re not going to sit back and cruise.”
The sprint to the finish line officially begins today.