Team delivers against tough rivals

In a surprise to everyone except themselves, the UCLA
women’s golf team is in second place after the first round of
the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at nearby Palos Verdes
Country Club. 

The tournament, hosted by Ohio State University, is one of the
elite women’s golf events in the country.  The 18-team
field is congested with 14 teams that rank in the top 25, including
national powerhouses No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Oklahoma, as well as
local schools USC, Pepperdine and UCLA.

“This tournament contains the strongest field we will play
against until the NCAA regional,” head coach Carrie Leary
said.

The Bruins, ranked No. 24 in the country, sent some shockwaves
through the course yesterday with their electrifying play. The
team compiled a score of 292, eight-over par, and trails first
place Pepperdine by eight strokes. No. 2 Oklahoma and
crosstown-rival USC are third and fourth, respectively, two shots
back from the Bruins.

Aside from consistent play, sophomores Charlotte Mayorkas and
Yvonne Choe provided their own fireworks Monday
afternoon. 

Mayorkas leads the entire field after a first-round 68,
three-under par. The 68 is the lowest round for any Bruin this
year. 

“Charlotte has a lot of game; she can shoot low
numbers,” Leary said in a statement. “She worked hard
on her game over the summer, and she has become a more solid player
with a better attitude.”

Mayorkas got off to a fast start as she eagled the par-4,
351-yard first hole to go two-under.

To put that in perspective, Mayorkas only needed two shots to go
from De Neve Plaza to Ackerman Union, with the target being a flag
stuck in a cup smaller than a Panda Express Bowl.

The tournament was briefly interrupted, however, by a match of
“Can You Top This” as Mayorkas’ early theatrics
were upstaged by another sophomore on her own team.

Choe had a hole-in-one on the par-3, 179-yard second hole
Monday, the lone ace in the tournament’s first
round. Choe, Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year in 2002, finished the
round with a one-over-par 73.

“Yvonne will be a major presence on our team,” Leary
said in a statement. “She has improved her game,
especially on the mental side. She is an exceptional ball-striker,
and she is calm and plays with a lot of poise on the golf
course.”

Junior Melissa Martin joined Choe by also shooting a 73, good
for 11th overall in the tournament. 

Juniors Krystal Shearer and Hana Kim rounded out the five-woman
squad in Palos Verdes by shooting a 78 and 79,
respectively. 

Although the Bruins got off to the start they desired, their
work is far from done. Two more rounds at the narrow, tree-lined
Palos Verdes course should provide a grueling mental
test. 

Fans will learn a lot about these Bruins over the next two
days.