The Bruins hosted for the first time this season and recorded a career high in the process.
No. 5 UCLA women’s golf placed fourth with a 39-over 903 at the Bruin Wave Invitational in San Luis Obispo, California. Freshman Phoebe Yue tied for third and had the best finish of her UCLA career with an 8-over 224.
“I wasn’t too worried about when I had a bad shot or bad hole, because my confidence pushed me to bounce back,” Yue said. “Even when I missed a green or a fairway, I was confident that I would be able to make the par, instead of the past few tournaments where I was more nervous. I was really calm and it pushed me to make smarter decisions and slow down a little.”
Improvement in junior Mariel Galdiano’s performance took her from tied for 10th in the first round to finishing tied for third with an 8-over 224.
“She hit the ball a little better today than she has been, she had a few shots yesterday that weren’t solid and (were) hitting a little bit of a fade,” said coach Carrie Forsyth. “Overall, her putting and chipping were pretty solid today.”
Galdiano said she hopes to work on her putting and being able to get up and down more often – instead of having to hit onto the green and then putt – and she’s aiming to get her third shot closer to the hole and make the putt in one.
“(The) weather conditions were rough and their country club plays pretty tough compared to others,” Galdiano said. “I would like to work on my putting overall. I’m struggling a little with that. I also want to get up and down more frequently.”
Junior Clare Legaspi and senior Beth Wu tied for 18th, both shooting 12-over 228. Sophomore Patty Tavatanakit finished in a tie for 39th with 16-over 232.
Forsyth said there are a few things the team as a whole needs to work on moving forward.
“One thing for the group as a whole is wedge game,” Forsyth said. “Pitching, shots from anywhere in 40 to 80 yards, I think we could do a lot better and get shots closer. And, other than that, everyone has individual things to work on.”
The Bruins will continue their season from March 8 to March 10 at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.