2008 Woodie Awards
UCLA delivers against tough rivals
Seth Fast Glass--Daily Bruin (U. California-Los Angeles)
Issue date: 2/12/03 Section: Sports
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(U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES - 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, 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 Tuesday 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.
The tournament, hosted by Ohio State, 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 Tuesday 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.