Tuesday, 5/27/97 Deficit too great for Bruins to overcome W.
GOLF: Though team finished fifth in championships, coach believes
season was successful
By Chris Umpierre Daily Bruin Contributor It would have been a
first. No coach has ever turned into a dog or, for that matter, no
human being has done so. But UCLA head coach Jackie Steinmann had
promised to turn canine if her women’s golf team overcame an
eight-shot deficit to win the national championships last weekend.
"(If we come back) I’ll roll over and bark," Steinmann said after
Thursday’s second round, a round which saw UCLA eight shots off the
lead. But Steinmann didn’t metamorphose into a canine, as her
Bruins weren’t able to overcome the deficit in the third and fourth
rounds, finishing in fifth place. The Arizona State Sun Devils
captured the championship, which was held in Columbus, Ohio, last
week. The Sun Devils are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned
with in women’s golf, as their victory this year is their fourth
team title in the last five years. The comeback that the Bruins
were attempting wasn’t at all inconceivable. In fact, it would have
been nothing new to the UCLA women’s golf program. And to make
things even more eerie, it would have been nothing new for a UCLA
women’s golf team on the Ohio State Scarlet golf course. On the
same Ohio State Scarlet golf course that this year’s Bruins were
hoping to overcome an eight-shot deficit on, a UCLA women’s golf
team came back from six shots down to win the championship in 1991.
That 1991 team, behind a 25-foot putt in sudden death by LaRee
Sugg, put together a comeback to win the championship, the only
title for the program to date. But this year’s comeback attempt in
the championship became inconceivable after the Bruins’ poor
showing in Friday’s third round. The team calls the crucial third
round (in four-round tournaments) "moving day," but the team moved
in the wrong direction in the third round of the championship.
UCLA’s third-round 301 moved the team further behind (12 shots off
the lead) with 18 holes left to go in the fourth and final round.
But the team still had hopes for a top finish going into the last
round. "We figured we could come in the top three after the third
round," Steinmann said. The Bruins almost posted this feat as their
final- round 293 placed the team in fifth, two shots away from a
third-place finish. But their fifth-place finish wasn’t good enough
for a trip to the pedestal as only the top four teams are rewarded
with trophies. "We are disappointed because we didn’t come home
with any hardware," Steinmann said. "But I think we did a pretty
darn good job considering where we came from." The Bruins had
indeed come a long way. First, the graduation loses of
All-Americans Jenny Park and Kathy Choi set the team back at the
beginning of the season. Then the Bruins began the year with
several horrendous finishes, including 12th-place finishes in both
the Rolex Fall Preview and the Golf World Invitational. And most
recently, the Bruins lost their momentum with a ninth-place finish
in the West Regionals. The dismal performance barely qualified the
team for championship play, as only the top 11 teams in the
regional go to the championships. Nevertheless, the Bruins were
able to bounce back from the regionals performance and come
together for the biggest tournament of the year. They were two
shots out of third and had a shot at the title going into the third
round. Their fifth-place finish makes eight consecutive years that
UCLA has finished in the top 10 at the national championship. Even
though the Bruins didn’t end up winning a tournament all year long,
failed to overcome the eight-shot deficit and win the
championships, and failed to take home a trophy at the
championships, Steinmann still believes the season was a success.
"We were always up there (during the season)," Steinmann added.
"Top five in the country, that’s pretty good. (UCLA is) one of the
national powers in women’s golf. A perennial powerhouse." Now the
perennial powerhouse turns to next year. The Bruins will lose two
seniors (Eunice Choi and Jeong-Min Park), on this year’s team to
graduation. But Steinmann has recruited three top freshmen to
replace them in the lineup. Julie Oh, Leilani Bagby and Alisha Um
are all top juniors and seasoned players that have the potential to
contribute immediately. Add to that the return of Sophie Sandolo.
The sophomore sensation was selected second-team All-American this
year. Her final-round three-under-par 69 could be a glimpse into
the bright future of UCLA golf. Junior Amandine Vincent, an
All-American two years ago, will also return next year. Despite a
successful season which saw her ranked as high as 35th, she
struggled throughout the championships. Freshman Alexandra Gasser
will also return to next year’s team. Her solid play in the
championships left an impression on her coach. "Oh my gosh,
(Alexandra) just came on like gangbusters," Steinmann said. "I’m
really proud of her." With those three returning to next year’s
squad, UCLA figures to once again contend for the title next year.
Perhaps Steinmann will have her chance to turn canine after next
year’s national championships.