After one round of the women’s golf Pac-10 Championships,
there’s a Bruin atop the leaderboard. But it’s not the
one many had expected coming into the tournament. Junior Susie
Mathews fired a 4-under par 68 on Monday to lead the field after
the first day of competition, pacing UCLA to an early two-shot lead
at the Ruby Hills Golf Club in Pleasanton. Crosstown rival USC is
currently two shots back at 3-over par. “I’d like to be
a little more ahead than we are,” UCLA coach Carrie Forsyth
said. “We started off sort of badly, except for Susie. She
played well the whole day and never really made any
mistakes.” While many have associated senior Charlotte
Mayorkas with the No. 3 UCLA women’s golf program’s
continued success, Monday’s performance from Mathews should
come as no surprise. Having struggled mightily with her golf game
in the first two tournaments of the season, Mathews peaked in the
spring, saving her best golf for the events leading up to the
conference championship and postseason. In four of her last five
tournaments, Mathews has finished sixth or better, and looks to be
in position to secure yet another top-10 finish. On Monday, the
junior torched Ruby Hills for five birdies, the last coming on the
18th hole, and only carded one bogey for a 68, tying her lowest
official round this season. Mathews was the lone Bruin to register
an under-par round, with her next closest teammates on the
leaderboard, Mayorkas and freshman Amie Cochran, both tied for
seventh place after posting 1-over par 73’s. Stepping up in
the postseason is not an aberration for Mathews, but instead
appears to be a recurring theme. Last season, it was Mathews who
led the Bruins on their national title run in Opelika, Ala.,
leading for much of the 72-hole tournament and eventually finishing
third. “Where she left off last year, she kind of picked up
from there,” Forsyth said. But Mathews has stiff competition
just behind her on the leaderbaord. Arizona State freshman Louise
Stahle, the No. 1 ranked women’s golfer in the country, is
currently one shot behind the Bruin junior after firing a 3-under
par 69 on Monday. Mathews and Stahle will be paired together in
today’s second round, teeing off in the last group.
CHANGE OF COURSE: During the practice round of the Pac-10
Championships on Sunday, the wind was howling at close to 40 mph,
creating very difficult conditions for everyone in the field. On
Monday, the golfers were faced with much friendlier, calm
conditions. “The course played considerably easier today than
yesterday,” Forsyth said. “This course is scorable. I
think you can shoot low numbers out here.” The forecast for
the next two days of competition call for calm conditions.