There were tears in redshirt senior Lee Lopez’s eyes as she stepped onto the University of Georgia Golf Club course on Friday afternoon. She was overcome by a wave of emotion as she headed to her last hole of the NCAA tournament, which would be the final one of her college golf career.
“It was very emotional for me going to my last hole,” Lopez said. “I felt happy, sad, a whole bunch of emotions.”
Several holes away, fellow senior Tiffany Lua was smiling as she lined up a 33-foot shot. Though she hadn’t cried, she still felt the same blend of feelings as her teammate. Swinging for the last time as an amateur, she watched the ball roll down the green and disappear into the hole for a birdie. It was a fitting way to cap off a stellar four-year career that had seen its fair share of highlights, the most spectacular of which happened in 2011, when she and Lopez led the Bruins to a national championship.
There was no title in the Bruins’ destiny in 2013, as they hit 1,174 (+22) to finish fourth in the tournament, 41 strokes behind the champions USC Trojans. USC rode dominant showings by freshmen Annie Park and Kyung Kim to a superlative win, 21 strokes ahead of second-place Duke and 40 in front of third-place Purdue. Entering the last round of the tournament 28 shots behind the Trojans, the Bruins knew that victory was all but out of reach, but did not let that realization detract from their play.
“We knew we had nothing to lose (on the last day),” said sophomore Erynne Lee, who finished in fourth place individually in the tournament with a score of 287 (-1). “We just decided to go out there and have fun, play hard, because, at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.”
This attitude of enjoying the moment no matter what was consistently exhibited throughout this year, in which circumstance rigorously tested the team’s resilience. A nine-month season is grueling in any environment, but compounded with a wealth of personal problems, injuries and other issues, this year became a marathon.
The team, however, was able to weather the storm. In fact, after Lua’s return in February, the Bruins performed at a level nearing brilliance, rattling off a series of tournament victories and top-three finishes that culminated with a four-stroke victory at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic in late March. And though the Bruins’ surge slowed late in the year, the team was nonetheless able to finish the year ranked No. 8 overall, a far cry from its No. 40 ranking earlier this year.
“We dealt with a lot this season, with injury, changes in the team lineup, to personal issues – it wasn’t really the smoothest journey,” Lua said. “We did a really good job of dealing with everything and going into every tournament performing with what we had.”
The Bruins responded to these trials, coming together and developing both individually and as a team. Freshman Louise Ridderstrom and junior Ani Gulugian – who will be the team’s chief leader next year – both grew as players, as did Lee, who said that she finally gained confidence in her ability to play well and contribute to the team. This ability to come into her own as a golfer will be central to the success of the team next year, as it will have to cope with the loss of the dynamic Lua and the steady Lopez.
As the departing seniors close this chapter in their lives, they are excited, but understandably nervous about what lies ahead. Both Lua and Lopez will enter the world of professional golf, with Lua playing the U.S. Women’s Open in late June and Lopez almost immediately attempting to qualify for that tournament.
At this crossroads, ready to embark on a journey they had both looked forward to throughout their lives, both took an opportunity to look back on their years in Westwood. In a quiet voice, Lua expressed her disbelief at how fast they went by. Lopez, her voice heavy with emotion, tried to relate what was going through her head as she closed out her career with one last putt.
“Thinking about how that was the last time I would ever take the course, my last putt was …”
Her voice trailed off, nostalgic for the team she was going to leave behind.
f women golf players are as good as the men then why do they need the L.P.G.A.? They are not barred from competing directly with the men in the P.G.A. Drop all sexism, let men and women compete together and eliminate the women-only L.P.G.A. Then the best golfers will rise to the top regardless of gender.
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