Golf sits at 8th place, trails USC by 23 at championships

Too little too late for the UCLA women’s golf
team? 

In the third round of the NCAA Championships at Purdue
University’s Kampen Course, the Bruins combined to shoot an
impressive eight-over par, 18 fewer strokes than each of their
earlier two rounds.

UCLA currently sits in eighth place at 60-over par with only
Friday’s final round remaining. However, the light is dim at
the end of the tunnel, with the Bruins entering the final round
trailing first-place USC by 23 shots. 

“They all played great today, they hung in there and
fought on like Trojans,” USC coach Andrea Gaston said in a
statement.

“It was great to see them pull a great round together, and
considering all the pressure they’re under – they did a
marvelous job.”

Southern California resident Pepperdine University is in
second-place and seven shots behind.

Thursday’s third round provided balanced scoring from the
Bruin attack. Sophomore Charlotte Mayorkas, who shot a
disappointing second round 83, regained her touch and composure
with an even-par round of 72, the team’s lowest in the
tournament. Mayorkas is in a tie for 25th place going into the
final round.

Freshman Susie Mathews endured a roller coaster of a round that
ended up at two-over par. Mathews’ round featured six
birdies, five pars, six bogeys, one double-bogey and an impressive
two-under par back nine. 

“My round was really interesting today,” Mathews
said.

“The first half of the day, I didn’t really trust
myself as much as I should have, then I sank one good putt and had
a lucky break. I thought I had lost a ball, but it was actually
further down the fairway, and then I turned my game
around.”

Mathews currently sits in a tie for 16th place with teammate
Hana Kim.

Kim shot a three-over 75 for the second consecutive round and is
12-over for the championship. Both Kim and Mathews trail individual
leaders Mikaela Parmelid and Andrea Vander Lende by eight shots
heading into Friday.

Junior Gina Umeck, who had struggled at the championship with a
disappointing first two rounds, rebounded nicely in the third round
with a three-over par 75. Junior Melissa Martin shot a
five-over 77 in Thursday’s round and is at 25-over for the
tournament.

The Bruins are within reasonable distance of catching
third-place Oklahoma State, but catching the Trojans will take a
heroic performance on UCLA’s part and a monumental collapse
on USC’s.