The Bruins had a big week in Florida.
With two golfers finishing in the top 10 individually, the No. 8 UCLA women’s golf team finished its season last Friday by placing third overall in the NCAA Championships held at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.
“We feel great about the way our season ended,” coach Carrie Forsyth said. “We have a tremendous sense of accomplishment.”
The Bruins were not able to hold on to second place on the last day of the tournament and finished with an overall, four-day team score of 1186, 34 over par. Duke was crowned the 2007 NCAA champion, scoring 18 over par for a total of 1170. Purdue came in second with a score of 1185, one stroke ahead of UCLA.
“We are very happy with our finish, although it would have been nice to hang on to second place,” Forsyth said. “But we played well in the final round and have nothing to be ashamed of in our performance this week.”
The Bruins did not begin the tournament well, finishing seventh place after the first round with sophomore Tiffany Joh grabbing the only birdie of the day for the team. On the second day, the Bruins picked up their game and climbed to second place, scoring only three over par in the second round. They trailed Duke while Purdue was right behind them in third. But UCLA was not able to hold on to second place and dropped down to third, where it would remain until the end of the tournament.
Individually, Joh performed well and lived up to her expectations. She began the tournament in ninth place but eventually climbed her way up, finishing fifth with an overall score of 291, three over par. On Friday, Joh was selected for the 2007 National Golf Coaches Association All-America second team, after being named to the first team last year.
“Tiffany is definitely one of the best players in the country,” Forsyth said. “I think her junior year will be awesome.”
Senior Hannah Jun also finished in the top 10 at nationals. She lowered her scores as the tournament progressed and finished with an individual four-day total score of 295, seven over par. Jun finished in eighth place, climbing four places from the third round.
“We definitely expected Hannah to play well and lead us this week,” Forsyth said. “She did a great job.”
This was Jun’s last season as a Bruin; she was selected to the third team by the 2007 coaches association. She had previously captured two individual crowns.
Freshman Sydnee Michaels, who won the 2007 NCAA East Regional, received the coaches association All-Region honors. She finished tied for 21st place with an individual total score of 300, 12 over par. Sophomore Ryann O’Toole scored 305, 17 over par. Finally, junior Maiya Tanaka finished tied for 65th place by scoring 21 over par.
Considering that UCLA finished in 11th place at Nationals last year with a more experienced team, the Bruins were pleased with their accomplishments. Although they had only six players on the roster for the whole year, the team never lost hope.
“It was a great season and I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish with all of the challenges we faced at the start,” Forsyth said. “This season will always hold a special place in my heart.”