This post was updated Aug. 20 at 4:57 p.m.
Kate Villegas stepped up to the tee for the 19th time that day with the California Women’s Championship on the line.
The senior had two titles under her belt this summer already but only a single prior competitive playoff experience.
Still, the UCLA women’s golfer knew what needed to be done.
“I’m just going to go out on the first hole and birdie it and see what happens,” Villegas recalled thinking.
She sank the birdie, won the playoff and captured the title.
Villegas’ third victory of the offseason came on the heels of a win at the 57th California Women’s Amateur on July 29 and a first-place finish in the SCGA Match Play Women’s Division on July 12, when she defended her title. She – alongside new teammate junior Tiffany Le – was a runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in May.
The UC Riverside transfer is one of many Bruins committing their offseason to individual tournaments to grow and improve their game. Villegas had spent four months off of competitive play starting in winter quarter because of NCAA regulations for mid-year transfers, but she dedicated the time to transition to UCLA and its program.
“It was time for me to adjust to school and the new team and take time for myself to really work on my game,” Villegas said. “I even played in qualifiers so I would still get that competition feeling, but I was definitely excited for summer tournaments.”
The Bruins have completed their summer tournament slate and will return to Westwood on Sept. 5 to begin preparing for the upcoming season. For Villegas, the start of the season will be the culmination of her dedication to the sport and the realization of a life-long dream.
“I knew that I wanted to grow my game because I want to do this professionally,” Villegas said. “It’s tough to put yourself in the portal because you don’t really know what’s out there, but I just took a chance, and there ended up being a spot. Carrie (former coach Carrie Forsyth) reached out to me, and I was immediately like, ‘Yes this a dream. I want to go there.’”
Other Bruin veterans who are excited to welcome one of the largest transfer classes in recent memory to UCLA include junior Caroline Canales and junior Zoe Antoinette Campos. Both golfers have contributed to their resumes this summer as well, with Canales qualifying as the No. 5 seed for the Round of 32 of the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur and Campos competing in the 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
Both Canales’ and Campos’ journeys in the summer circuit have been characterized by certain home course advantages.
The Women’s Amateur took place at Bel Air Country Club, a course that UCLA is very familiar with. Canales said qualifying for a USGA event coupled with the privilege of playing on a home course was a unique experience.
“USGA just has that touch about them,” Canales said. “To play such a special tournament and have it at a course that we all know and love very well – it definitely was a highlight of the summer.”
Even when she was down two in match play during the Round of 64, she found a way to win four holes on the back nine to punch her Round of 32 ticket.
The second-lowest scoring player on the team last season added that the match play format of the tournament developed specific aspects of her game and gave her perspective before the season commences.
“It was just getting more experience, studying myself, being patient. Especially during match play, it’s easy to lose a couple holes and hit the panic button,” Canales said. “That’s definitely something that I can work towards in the future and can improve upon.”
For Campos, the home course advantage helped in the qualifying stages before the actual event, when she played at Valencia Country Club and posted an even score across two days to finish second in the field and secure her spot in her second major championship event appearance.
“I’ve been playing there for years, and I thought it was a great opportunity to qualify,” Campos said. “Being able to know the course was really great for me, and I ended up just playing my game. … My experience at the Open was great too even though I didn’t play as well. I was super happy just to finally make it and accomplish that.”
With their summer achievements in tow, the Bruins will approach the upcoming season with confidence gained this summer, according to Villegas. Even with the ushering in of a new head coach in former assistant coach Alicia Um Holmes, Campos said the team believes that the transition will be smooth.
Campos added that the UCLA legacies within the coaching staff will be key to easing into the new season.
“She (Um Holmes) has had a long career here, and our assistant coach Erynne (Yoo) has also played with the team before, so just having both coaches with experience at UCLA is super important,” Campos said. “It’ll be a lot easier for us to just settle in.”
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