A phone call earlier this year has proved to be momentous for UCLA women’s golf coach Alicia Um Holmes.
When then-freshman Meghan Royal entered the transfer portal and expressed her hopes of joining the Bruin pack, Um Holmes eyed the prospect.
“The thing that stood out the most was just her desire to be part of UCLA,” Um Holmes said. “When she approached me with this desire to be part of the team, I just jumped on that, and I knew after speaking to her that she would be a good fit for us.”
Royal had completed a successful freshman season at Arkansas – recording the third-best scoring average on the team – but she was eager for more.
So when the opportunity for a fresh start landed at Royal’s doorstep, she knew exactly where she wanted to take her next swing.
The transfer student officially secured her new home with UCLA on June 21 in pursuit of leveraging what Westwood had to offer, Royal said.
“I think it’s undeniable that UCLA is the best place to be when it comes to academics or athletics,” Royal said. “I wanted to put myself in a position where I could get all the resources, learn everything I need to learn to become what I want.”
And the Carlsbad local has swiftly transitioned back to her Southern California roots.
Spearheading the Bruins in their historic 15-under 273 round last month, Royal tied for the tournament’s lowest-individual score with a bogey-free 5-under 67 in the final round – simultaneously shooting at a career-high figure. Royal’s 77-69-67 throughout the Mason Rudolph Championship marshaled her to an inaugural top-20 finish.
For Royal, ushering her talents to Los Angeles meant plunging into an entirely new pool of contenders. The Mason Rudolph Championship included some of the nation’s best in No. 6 LSU, No. 8 South Carolina, No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 14 Auburn.
But this is exactly what she signed up for, the Arkansas transfer said.
“When you’re playing a bunch of different golf and a bunch of different courses and a bunch of different teams, it makes you work on different parts of your game, and that really helps you grow,” Royal said.
And as the mid-May phone call with Um Holmes promised, UCLA would embark on an uphill trajectory through the season.
After fracturing tournament records in their opening outing, the Bruins fabricated the necessary adjustments to secure a first-place finish in the Windy City Classic. But beyond stepping on the podium for the first time this season, UCLA tied a 54-hole program record of a 32-under 832 and bested nine top-25 teams.
Once again, the ride was driven by Royal’s 66-73-68 runner-up finish – something junior Caroline Canales said is a credit to her course mentality.
“She’s really mentally tough and competitive,” Canales said. “And that gives her the edge over her competitors.”
Although the mental game has anchored Royal’s Bruin tenure so far, her role on UCLA’s squad is characterized by one word: dominant.
Royal’s confidence and consecutive team-high scores is compounded by her inherent dominant personality, as exemplified by her “D” characterization on the DiSC personality assessment. Denoting someone as firm, result-oriented and strong-willed, Um Holmes said this evaluation closely represents Royal.
“She just has this sense of confidence and she’s a goal-setter,” Um Holmes said. “Her goals trump any fear she might have, so her teammates see that and it adds to the competitive environment in a positive way.”
And on the course itself, the recent Pac-12 Women’s Golfer of the Week has displayed her aptitude with the stick – most notably with three birdies in the final four holes at the Windy City Classic.
“She’s quite powerful as a golfer, so she hits the ball further than average,” Um Holmes said. “Because she hits her driver a little bit further, she’s able to carry some of the trouble that other players would have to lay up to.”
Teeing up for the next hole in her UCLA journey, Royal will lead the team’s starting lineup up north this weekend as the No. 7 Bruins compete in the Stanford Intercollegiate from Friday through Sunday.
Each and every contest counts for Royal – who is on a quest to rise above the rest.
“I aspire to be one of the best in the world when it comes to golf,” Royal said.
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