After spending a season predominantly in a region where sunshine and gentle ocean breezes prevail, the prospect of playing any tournament in the treacherous conditions of Tulsa, Okla. is daunting enough.
When that tournament is the NCAA women’s golf championship, unfriendly weather can severely punish even the smallest misjudgment.
“The wind was just so strong,” said Alison Lee, who has since been crowned Women’s Golf Coaches Association Division I Freshman of the Year. “Playing the majority of our golf in Southern California didn’t prepare us for it at all and that really cost us during the early rounds.”
However, the No. 2 Bruins were able to put the adversity of a disappointing start behind them to claim third place and a seventh podium finish in the last 15 years.
“I was disappointed with how we played on the first two days as the aim was to go out and win,” said coach Carrie Forsyth. “But I was pleased with how we fought back and in the end we did well to finish where we did.”
Though the conditions faced made subpar scores difficult to come by, senior Ani Gulugian believes that the pressure associated with a NCAA championship also played a significant role.
“It was a first national competition for a couple of the girls so I think that played a big role,” Gulugian said after tying for 50th in her final collegiate competition. “For the first couple of days it would have been hard for them to get that out of their minds and play their own game.”
The second half of the four-day tournament marked the beginning of a dramatic turnaround for the Bruins and enabled them to post a 72-hole total of 1,145 (+25) – 15 shots behind winner No. 3 Duke.
“We definitely started to get more comfortable with everything,” Forsyth said. “The girls started to get more excited and realize that they had the potential to go out and win.”
It was the final day that proved to be the most successful for the Bruins as Lee and fellow freshman Bronte Law, as well as Gulugian, all carded their lowest rounds on the way to a team-low 18-hole score of 278 (-2).
“I didn’t do a good job on the first two days so going into the last round I knew I needed to put up more of a fight,” said Lee, who posted a 67 (-3) to leave herself with a share of 38th. “I had a long talk with the coaches and knew that I needed a really low score so that’s what I aimed for.”
Individually, sophomore Louise Ridderstrom led the way as she claimed a share of seventh place at 282 (+2), with other UCLA starter, junior Erynne Lee, ending the championship with a share of 43rd at 291 (+11).
“We came into the tournament as one of the favorites but though we didn’t win it, we certainly didn’t embarrass ourselves,” Forsyth said. “We have had a lot of successes this year and this was definitely one of my most enjoyable years as a coach.”