SUNRIVER, Ore. “”mdash; It wasn’t the way Charlotte
Mayorkas wanted to end her career at UCLA, but she insists
she’s still ready to move on. The senior, who had the largest
hand in vaulting UCLA into one of the nation’s elite golf
programs over the last two years, shot a very uncharacteristic
7-over par 78 in Friday’s final round of the NCAA
Championships, her second-highest score in a championship event.
“This was not the way I wanted to finish,” said
Mayorkas, who didn’t record a single birdie on her round.
“But you get to a point where you get to another phase in
your life, and I’m ready for it.” The senior plans to
turn pro today when she enters her name in the U.S. Women’s
Open qualifying tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., officially
relinquishing her amateur status. Insisting that she’s
prepared to move on to the next level in her golfing career,
Mayorkas will likely go down as one of the most successful UCLA
women’s golfers in the program’s history. In 2003-2004,
Mayorkas posted an astounding 10 consecutive top-10 finishes,
claiming four individual titles and leading her team to the
national title. Though she didn’t enjoy that same type of
success in 2004-2005, Mayorkas was still always a mainstay at the
top of the leaderboard, finishing in the top-10 of seven of her
final 10 tournaments. “I think I’ve tried to achieve
everything I wanted to do, but I don’t think the outcome
always turned out the way I wanted to, so it’s
bittersweet,” Mayorkas said. “But it was a great four
years.” Though Mayorkas has been the catalyst for the
dominant Bruin teams in the past two seasons, she may be leaving a
stronger team behind her. With UCLA returning three starters in
freshman Amie Cochran, sophomore Hannah Jun and junior Susie
Mathews, and adding what many golf analysts call the
country’s best recruiting class, highlighted by San Diego
native Tiffany Joh and La Crescenta native Jane Park, next
year’s squad may even be more talented. “The dynasty is
ready to begin,” Mayorkas said. “With the players
coming in, there’s no doubt they should be in contention next
year.” “It pains me to say goodbye, she was a leader
for us,” UCLA coach Carrie Forsyth said.
CHANGE OF PACE: While ordinarily Forsyth consoles each of her
five players on their first tee shot, on Friday, the UCLA coach
decided to walk the first four holes with Mathews, who had
struggled mightily in the second and third rounds. The gamble
worked, as Mathews went on to par the first four holes and shoot a
1-over par 72 on the day, the Bruins’ second best score of
the final round. “(Mathews) was obviously struggling, so I
wanted to get her off on the right foot and in the right
mind-set,” Forsyth said. “And it was successful, she
did great.”
LEADING DEVIL: Duke sophomore Anna Grzebien claimed the
individual title at the NCAA Championships, finishing the 72-hole
event at 2-over par. It was Grzebien’s third-round 6-under
par 65 that vaulted the Blue Devils to the top of the
leaderboard.