The last time the UCLA women’s golf team was on the course, it performed brilliantly, hitting -12, its best single round all season. That excellent round came en route to a four-stroke victory in the Anuenue Spring Break Classic in Maui, Hawaii. The victory was the Bruins’ third in their last four tournaments.
It’s clear the No. 6 Bruins are surging, something they’ll look to leverage into their last regular-season tournament of the year, the PING/ASU Invitational at the Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.
“The main thing we took from Hawaii was our ability to score low as a team,” said senior Tiffany Lua. “Any time you can have this kind of momentum coming to a tournament, it’s a really big plus.”
Lua, a longtime team leader, has played a prominent role in the team’s recent success, which has coincided with her return from a wrist injury that sidelined her for the first half of the season. Currently ranked No. 1 overall in head-to-head player standings, she headlines a cast of golfers that includes No. 12 sophomore Erynne Lee as well as redshirt senior Lee Lopez and junior Ani Gulugian.
Lee closed out last tournament in fine fashion, scoring a course-record 65 (-7) on the final day of play. She had been implementing some minor changes in her swing, and it all came together on that last day of competition.
“It’d be pretty nice to replicate the performance I had on that last day in Hawaii,” Lee said. “I’m looking forward to the changes and seeing (them) out on the course this week.”
She and the rest of the team will be aided by their familiarity with the course – the Bruins placed first in this tournament last year. Their knowledge of the course is something several players cited as a key advantage.
“A lot of players have played here for other events, so they’re familiar with the golf course, and they’re comfortable on it,” said coach Carrie Forsyth. “The coaches know it like the back of our hands, so we can really help them out on it as well.”
Despite the advantage afforded to them by their current surge of momentum and acquaintance with the course, the Bruins will face several challenges en route to success. Several golfers are not in top shape this week, with Lee nursing a bad head cold that has made it difficult to sleep. Furthermore, the team will be facing a strong field of competitors that includes No. 1 USC, a perennial competitor that always provides UCLA with stiff competition.
In spite of these potential difficulties, however, UCLA is coming into this tournament with a lot of confidence. The team’s performance has proven how good it can be when everything comes together, and the Bruins are currently at the top of their game.
“The girls are excited to be here and ready to play,” Forsyth said. “I feel really good about the (team), and we think we can do really well out here.”