Pressure? What pressure?
Freshman Hannah Jun of the second-ranked UCLA women’s golf
team certainly hasn’t felt any while competing in her first
collegiate postseason. In fact, she has thrived in the spotlight,
playing her best golf of the season at the most important time.
Two weeks after finishing second to teammate Charlotte Mayorkas
at the conference championship, Jun finally made the big leap into
the winner’s circle at the NCAA West Regional at Stanford
Golf Course on Saturday, finishing the 54-hole tournament at
7-under par to claim her first collegiate victory.
“I didn’t really feel any pressure,” said Jun,
who tied a UCLA record set by Mayorkas earlier this year for lowest
tournament total in relation to par. “I don’t
categorize myself as a freshman. I’ve worked really hard for
this. I’m hoping this is just the first one.”
The rest of the Bruins followed Jun’s lead, using a very
balanced third round in which no Bruin posted a score above par to
outlast No. 3 California by seven shots and capture their fifth
victory in six events.
UCLA compiled a 3-under par team total for the tournament, the
only squad to survive Stanford Golf Course in red figures, and
qualified to compete in the NCAA Championships starting May 18 at
Grand National Golf Course in Alabama as one of three No. 1
seeds.
Though a victory is always gratifying, any member of the team
will tell you their work is far from over, which is why
they’re not celebrating.
Not yet anyway.
“This was just another tournament,” Jun said.
“The season’s definitely not over.”
“We are ready to play nationals,” said UCLA coach
Carrie Forsyth, who will be guiding the Bruins to their fourth
consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships. “This is
what you practice for, what you are playing for, and it’s
nice to be going. We are ready and peaking at the right
time.”
For Jun, claiming her first collegiate victory has been anything
but a walk in the park. While she had a golden opportunity at the
Pac-10 Championships to walk away the winner, she stumbled on her
back nine and had to watch Mayorkas hoist the trophy.
At regionals the back-nine challenge was posed by Ohio
State’s Allison Hanna as both players were tied for the lead
with only four holes remaining in their final rounds. However, Jun
maintained her composure and drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the
par-4 15th hole, which, coupled with Hanna’s bogey on the
par-3 17th, all but ensured the title for the UCLA freshman.
“It’s cool, it’s really cool,” said Jun
about her first win. “I’ve kind of been leading up to
this all spring. I was out there to win this weekend.”
There was a familiar name close to Jun’s on the
leaderboard, but in an unfamiliar position. Mayorkas finished the
tournament with a 2-under par total and in a tie for third place,
five shots behind her freshman teammate. Her finish marks the ninth
consecutive tournament in which Mayorkas has placed in the top
10.
For the team, the road to a coveted championship has been long
and arduous.
A winless fall season coupled with a long winter break raised
doubts whether this team would live up to its potential.
Since then, the Bruins have been on a mission. They’ve
proven that they are unquestionably the best team in the Pac-10
conference.
With their seven-shot victory at regionals on Saturday, they
have undoubtedly solidified themselves as one of the three best
teams in the nation.
Yet because golf has no memory, they still believe they have
everything to prove.
“All of the other tournaments are nice and great and
whatever, but that’s done with,” Jun said.
“Nationals is the one tournament everyone wants to win.
It’s all that matters now.”