Rainfall makes a golf course’s play long and slow, which is an advantage for one kind of player ““ a long hitter.
That is exactly the type of golfer sophomore Erynne Lee of the UCLA women’s golf team is, and she was able to find success in the rainfall at the Liz Murphey Fall Preview over the weekend.
However, while the climate aided her, it did the opposite for the rest of the team.
Plagued by rain, the UCLA women’s golf team struggled with its shots this weekend, finishing tied for 8th with a score of 893 ( 29).
Coach Carrie Forsyth said that the University of Georgia Golf Course saw about four inches of rainfall a few days before, causing tougher conditions. The team had trouble adjusting its play accordingly, and ultimately gave away many shots.
Many of the women were frustrated when they were unable to find good shots, but Lee used the wet course as a tool.
“Erynne’s got a lot of talent and she’s a pretty long hitter. She’s one of the best players in the country, so she’s gonna find a way to score no matter what,” Forsyth said.
Lee was able to get more out of this course than many of her teammates. The sophomore ended the tournament tied for 10th place with a score of 217 ( 1).
Despite Lee’s advantage, the team as a whole was unable to capture first place.
“The first day really helped me out,” Lee said. “But (on Saturday) I had trouble finding my shot and my swing, in general. But (on the final day) I stayed patient.”
Concluding her second collegiate tournament, freshman Louise Ridderstrom said she was frustrated with her performance, ending the weekend with a score of 230 ( 14).
“I couldn’t really control my emotions,” said the freshman, who struggled to get a single birdie in her first round. “I was really angry and it took me seven holes to calm down and get over it.”
Redshirt senior Lee Lopez ended with a score of 220 ( 4), second best on UCLA, but tied for 20th amongst competitors.
“As a team, we know what we have to work on to prepare for the postseason because that’s what’s really important,” Lee said.
Although the team members saw one mistake after another, and had to deal with the effects of the wet golf course, they saw it as a learning experience and as a way to pinpoint exactly what improvements they need to focus on.
“We’re a little disappointed with our finish, but it was still good to get a look at the golf course and have a game plan for what we need to work on so that we can be prepared for when we come back here in May,” said Forsyth, referring to the National Championship.