The UCLA women’s golf team teed off in Hawaii on Monday to compete in the inaugural Turtle Bay Resort Collegiate Invitational without its All-American senior Sydnee Michaels. Yet despite the absence of the No. 4 overall player in the nation from their lineup, the Bruins responded in a big way and shot a total score of 887 (+13), good enough for a second-place finish.
After finishing round one in fifth, UCLA climbed the leaderboard over the next two days for the runner-up finish on Wednesday, its fourth consecutive second-place finish since the start of the season.
UC Davis nabbed the title after recording 868 (+4) on the event. USC placed 3rd in the tournament, only two strokes behind the Bruins. California finished fourth with 883 (+19), and Oregon rounded out the Top 5 at 896 (+32).
The Bruins were anchored by a very strong performance from sophomore Stephanie Kono, who finished 4th individually and shot 214 (-2) total for the weekend. Kono’s tournament was highlighted by a stellar second-round, in which she fired 67 (-5), which included no bogeys.
Tying for fifth, freshman Tiffany Lua backed up Kono and shot an even-par 216 for the tournament. Junior All-American Glory Yang represented the Bruins’ most experienced player in the field and finished in 16th place with a total of 222 (+6). Sophomore Brianna Do tied for 24th in the event, shooting 226 (+10).
Filling in for Michaels on the roster was junior Lalita Boonnoppornkul, who made her first start since her freshman year in 2006. Boonnoppornkul responded with a score of 237 (+21) and finished tied for 70th.
Freshman Stacy Kim, who competed individually, played in her first collegiate event and posted 234 (+18) to tie for 58th.
The Bruins’ spring season kicks off with the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at the Palos Verdes Golf Course on Feb. 8.