Not surprisingly, two Bruins are among the top five after the
first day of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships.
Not surprisingly, two Bruins shot under par at the tough Grand
National Lake Course in Opelika, Ala.
Not surprisingly, two Bruins shot under par on the back
nine.
But the two Bruins that led UCLA to just only one stroke in back
of the lead were Susie Mathews and Gina Umeck ““Â not
Charlotte Mayorkas and Hannah Jun, the two names fans have gotten
used to seeing atop the leaderboards all season long.
“When your No. 1 and your No. 2 players don’t play
well and you’re still only one stroke back, it’s a good
sign,” Bruin coach Carrie Forsyth said.
With 54 holes to play, UCLA sits at 1-over par, shooting a 289
for the day. Oklahoma State leads the field with an even-par 288,
and No. 1 nationally ranked Duke is tied with the Bruins at
289.
Mathews and Umeck each shot a 71 (1-under par) Tuesday, tying
for the fifth-best score overall at the NCAA Championships.
“They played solid out there,” Forsyth said.
“We got great scores from our No. 4 and No. 5 players, and it
was a great team effort.”
Mathews finished with a 34 on the back nine ““Â seven
pars and two birdies.
Umeck finished with two birdies over her last five holes.
Mayorkas and Jun did not end with the same success.
Mayorkas, who has won four tournaments this year, double-bogeyed
the 15th hole en route to a 2-over par 74.
Jun, coming off of an individual title at the NCAA West
Regionals, struggled on her way to a 4-over par 76. She had a
stretch starting on the 13th hole that went bogey, double-bogey and
bogey.
“They both played solid until the end, when you
can’t make up for it,” Forsyth said.
Krystal Shearer, the other Bruin in the lineup, shot a 1-over
73. Shearer is tied for 18th overall.
Oklahoma State at the top of the scoreboard can be considered a
surprise. The Cowgirls had to play a playoff at the NCAA East
Regional just to qualify for the Championships.
But they remain in the lead over the top two teams in
women’s collegiate golf.
“(Oklahoma State’s) a tough team,” Forsyth
said. “They’re used to playing a tough course
regularly.”
Ohio State is in fourth place, seven strokes behind UCLA and
Duke at 8-over par (296).
Ohio State’s Allison Hanna is the individual leader at
3-under (69). Florida State’s Alison Curdt, Michigan
State’s Allison Fouch and San Jose State’s Ashley Gomes
are all one stroke back.
The Bruins will tee off today at 8 a.m. on the 10th hole. The
last day of the NCAA Championships is Friday.
The tournament field includes 24 teams and 125 players.