The UCLA women’s golf team did not begin the season under the best of circumstances.
Two of its best players left for the LPGA, coach Carrie Forsyth was pregnant with twins, and there weren’t enough golfers on the roster.
Then flash forward to today, as the Bruins enter the NCAA Championship at International Legends Course in Florida as legitimate contenders for the national title.
“I think the key for us doing well this year was to be patient and to understand that we’re not coming in with everything on the table,” sophomore Tiffany Joh said. “There were so many changes going along that I think we didn’t even think about expectations, we didn’t even think about what we’re going to do about the nationals.”
After two years at UCLA, Joh has not only proven she is one of the best golfers on the team and in the country, but that she can lead her team to victory. Joh has significantly improved her short game this season, and her performance was a turning point as the team improved after the Texas tournament earlier this season.
“I remember after the Texas tournament ““ which I consider the lowest low of this year, as a team and individually ““ I was crying on the plane ride back. I was being so negative,” Joh said. “The coach took me to the side and she told me, “˜You need to work on your short game.'”
The Bruins showed at the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA East Regionals that they were back in full swing when Joh won the Pac-10s and freshman Sydnee Michaels won the regionals. The Bruins proved that they can face some of the best golfers in the country and compete at such a high level.
Michaels in particular showed the promise at the regionals that was expected of her at the beginning of the season.
“Sydnee has always been a confident player,” Joh said. “She has always been the type of player that should contend at a national title. I would not say it was a drastic change, but I think it helps to see some concrete results before going into nationals.”
The squad heads to nationals knowing that it belongs there, but it can’t easily forget the disappointment that happened at last year’s NCAA Championships. After winning the Pac-10 Championships and finishing second in the regionals in 2006, their expectation of winning a national title was crushed at the hands of Ohio State. They came in 11th place, hitting 55-over par.
This year, the players are much more cautious and cognizant of what they are up against.
“I think that this year, because we’re going into the tournament kind of as underdogs, kind of thinking that we really have to go to Duke, ASU, to whoever will be ranked No. 1 by the time the nationals comes around, we know that we have to take it from them. They’re not going to hand it over,” Joh said.
The NCAA Championships start today and will last until Friday. The Bruins know that anything can happen and hope to continue their recent hot streak of strong play.
“We got a lot of good momentum going,” Michaels said. “We have geared up for a win.”
FOOTBALL: Back-up running back Derrick Williams retired from the UCLA football team on Monday. Williams, a redshirt senior who sat out much of spring practice due to a concussion, had a history of injuries and played sparingly during his three years of action at UCLA.
After deliberation with the UCLA coaches, medical staff and his family, Williams on Monday decided to take a “medical retirement.” Williams will stay in school under a medical scholarship and plans to graduate in fall 2007.