The UCLA women’s golf team has entered the fall season with a clear goal.
“We want to establish momentum (in fall) to peak in spring,” junior Tiffany Joh said.
It didn’t take long for the Bruins to establish that momentum.
UCLA won the Mason Rudolph Championship hosted by Vanderbilt at The Legends Club Ironhorse Course in Franklin, Tenn., last weekend, with four Bruins finishing in the top 15. The team won the tournament with an overall score of 851, 13 below par, one of the best totals in the school’s history.
After the tournament, the Bruins women were given the No. 1 ranking in the country by Golfweek magazine.
UCLA was the only team to finish below par, winning by 14 shots. Coming in second was second-ranked Arizona State (1 over), followed by Duke in third place with a total of 866 (2 over).
“It feels great to win the first event of the season,” coach Carrie Forsyth said. “This is the first time since I have been a coach that we have won our opening tournament. It brings a lot of confidence to the team, and the players are feeling really great about it.”
The weekend also showed how last year’s team has grown. The Bruins have four returning players from last season, in addition to two freshmen with promising futures.
Freshmen Glory Yang and Maria Jose Uribe were key contributors to the Mason Rudolph victory. Yang finished in seventh place, scoring 3 under par with a three-day overall score of 213. She played three consistent rounds (71, 70, 72) keeping her place on the charts while helping her team take the title.
Uribe, who won the U.S. Women’s Amateur last month, finished in a tie for tenth place with an overall score of 216. She had 6 birdies the second round of the tournament.
“I see (Yang and Uribe) competing against each other for the freshman of the year,” Joh said.
Joh herself may be the strongest asset on this year’s team. She finished in third place at the Mason Rudolph Championship with a total score of 6 under par.
“I would not be surprised to see Tiffany win multiple events this season,” Forsyth said.
Joh, who won the Pac-10 last season and finished fifth in the NCAA Championship, began the Mason Rudolph firing 7 under par. She didn’t display the same caliber of game in the second round of the tournament, yet was able to hit 2 under par in the third round and finished off the tournament tied for third.
Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst won the individual title. She was followed in second place by Arizona State’s Anna Nordqvist.
“It was obviously a great experience playing against Amanda and Anna,” Joh said. “But placing them on a pedestal has worn off; it’s easier to play my own game now.”
Blumenherst and Joh are actually going to be on the same team as partners in October. The two rivals will represent the United States in the Spirit International held in Houston, Texas.
Another returning star for the Bruins is sophomore Sydnee Michaels. She won the 2007 NCAA East Regional last season, setting a UCLA 54-hole record of 203 (13 under).
At the Mason Rudolph, Michaels had a steady three rounds which landed her tied for 15th place. She had a three-day overall score of 217, one over par.
Also returning this season for the Bruins are junior Ryann O’Toole and redshirt junior Maiya Tanaka. O’Toole was recently voted team captain. Over the weekend, she had a flop on the second day of the championship which landed her in 64th place. However, her one-under-par performance on the third day brought her back up. She finished the tournament tied for 48th place.
Tanaka played as an individual over the weekend. She tied for 74th at 232 (16 over).
“Not only is this squad loaded with talent, but there is a true bond of friendship and camaraderie among (the) players,” Forsyth said. “It’s fun to coach a team like this.”
As for Joh, she expects the Bruins to win every single tournament this season.
“It’s obviously very tough to do that,” Joh said. “But with the team we have this season, it’s definitely a possibility.”