Monday, February 23, 1998
After strong start to ’98 season, Bruins host annual
tournament
GOLF UCLA finished ’97 well at NCAA Championships, hope to carry
experience into Classic
By Ryota Kawai
Daily Bruin Contributor
The women’s golf team heads out to Menifee Lakes Country Club in
Temecula today to host their annual Pioneer/Bruin Classic
Tournament.
Last year, the Bruins placed third at their own tournament, with
Tulsa University winning with a total score of 934 strokes.
After having finished in fifth place last year at the NCAA
Championships, the Bruins are off to a fast start for the 1997-98
season. The women’s team finished 11th as a team at the season
opening Rolex Fall Preview on Sept. 12-14.
Individually, senior Amandine Vincent placed a team-high 17th.
The next tournament proved to be a breakthrough for Vincent, as she
took top medalist honors for individuals, winning her first
tournament in three years at the Dick McGuire Invitational on Sept.
25-27.
As a team, the Bruins had their best showing at the same
tournament. The Bruins placed third out of a very competitive
field
The Bruins have continued their impressive showings at the next
three tournaments, placing eighth as a team at the Rolex Match Play
Championships Nov. 1-3; sixth at the Golf World Invitational Nov.
14-16, with junior Sophie Sandolo placing 10th individually; and
eighth at the Regional Challenge on Feb. 9-11, with Vincent placing
a team-high 14th individually.
Coach Jackie Steinmann has a promising season to look forward to
with the additions of freshmen Leilani Bagby, Julie Oh, Laura
Moffat, and Alicia Um.
Bagby (Santa Monica High School), Oh (Torrance High School), and
Um (Westlake High School) are all products from California. The
fourth addition to the team, Moffat, hails from West Kilbride,
Scotland, where she attended Glasgow Academy.
The team also boasts the services of sophomore Jill Axelrod,
senior Betty Chen, sophomore Alexandra Gasser, junior Sophie
Sandolo and senior Amandine Vincent. Vincent leads the team with
the lowest stroke average at 74.4 strokes per round, with junior
Sandolo trailing at 75.3.
Newcomers Bagby and Um have had impressive starts so far,
averaging 77.6 and 77.5 strokes per round, respectively.
The Pioneer Electronics UCLA Golf Classic is a 54-hole stroke
play event.
The field will feature three-time Pioneer Classic champion and
fifth-ranked Tulsa, defending NCAA champion Arizona State
University and Pac-10 opponents Oregon, Oregon State, USC and
Stanford.