Friday, May 18
Stillwater, OK
All Day
UCLA
at
NCAA Championships (Stroke Play)
Junior Lilia Vu was the top stroke-play finisher for the Bruins the last time they made the NCAA Championships in 2016.
Bruins Begin Quest for NCAA Title on Friday
May 16, 2018 | Women's Golf
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NCAA Championships • Friday, May 18 - Wednesday, May 23 • Stillwater, Okla • Karsten Creek GC
FRIDAY, MAY 18 (ROUND 1 OF STROKE PLAY)
12:10 p.m. CT/10:10 a.m. PT - 10th Tee - Paired With Alabama and Arkansas
SATURDAY, MAY 19 (ROUND 2 OF STROKE PLAY)
7:30 a.m. CT/5:30 a.m. PT - 1st Tee - Paired With Alabama and Arkansas
SUNDAY, MAY 20 (ROUND 3 OF STROKE PLAY - TOP 15 TEAMS ADVANCE FOLLOWING 54 HOLES)
Based on 36-Hole Results - Split Tee Times Starting at 7:30 a.m. CT/5:30 a.m. PT
MONDAY, MAY 21 (FINAL ROUND OF STROKE PLAY - TOP 8 TEAMS ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY)
Based on 54-Hole Results - Split Tee Times Starting at 11:30 a.m. CT/9:30 am. PT
Live Golf Channel Television Coverage Starts at 3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT
TUESDAY, MAY 22 (MATCH PLAY QUARTERFINALS - SEEDS BASED ON 72-HOLE TEAM SCORES)
7 a.m. CT/5 a.m. PT - No. 2 Seed vs. No. 7 Seed - 1st Tee; No. 3 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed - 10th Tee
7:50 a.m. CT/5:50 a.m. PT - No. 1 Seed vs. No. 8 Seed - 1st Tee; No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed - 10th Tee
Live Golf Channel Television Coverage Starts at 10 a.m. CT/8 a.m. PT
TUESDAY, MAY 22 (MATCH PLAY SEMIFINALS)
1:30 p.m. CT/11:30 a.m. PT - No. 2/7 Seed Winner vs. No. 3/6 Seed Winner
2:20 p.m. CT/12:20 p.m. PT - No. 1/8 Seed Winner vs. No. 4/5 Seed Winner
Live Golf Channel Television Coverage Starts at 3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 (MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP)
2:25 p.m. CT/12:25 p.m. PT - Match Play Semifinal Winners
Live Golf Channel Television Coverage Starts at 2 p.m. CT/12 p.m. PT
TOP-SEEDED BRUINS IN STILLWATER FOR NCAAS
The top-seeded UCLA women's golf team begins its quest for a fourth NCAA Championship this weekend, beginning on Friday with the first of four rounds of stroke play at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
This year marks the fourth year under the new format, which features four rounds of stroke play and three rounds of match play to determine the national champion. The 24-team field will face 18 holes of stroke play on both Friday (May 18), Saturday (May 19) and Sunday (May 20) before the field is trimmed to 15. Then on Monday, May 21, the top eight teams from those 15 will advance to the match play portion.
Play on Tuesday, May 22 will feature the match play quarterfinals in the morning and the semifinals in the afternoon, with the last two teams standing squaring off for the NCAA Championship on Wednesday afternoon (May 23).
Live scoring will be available here.
GOLF CHANNEL TELEVISION COVERAGE
Golf Channel will have unprecedented coverage of the NCAA Championships, starting on Monday with the final round of stroke play at 3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT. On Tuesday, the network will air the match play quarterfinals beginning at 10 a.m. CT/8 a.m. PT and the match play semifinals starting at 3 p.m. CT/1 p.m. PT. Full 18-hole coverage of the match play championship will begin at 2 p.m. CT/12 p.m. PT on Wednesday.
THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS FIELD
Joining the Bruins in the 24-team field are #2 Alabama, #3 Arkansas, #4 Duke, #5 Stanford, #6 USC, #7 Furman, #8 Texas, #10 Arizona, #12 Arizona State, #13 Northwestern, #14 Florida, #15 Washington, #16 Kent State, #18 Wake Forest, #19 Auburn, #21 Oklahoma, #26 Colorado, #28 Florida State, #31 Virginia, #32 Louisville, #35 Baylor, #40 Ole Miss and #44 Ohio State.
SEASON TEAM SUMMARY
UCLA has finished first, second or tied for third in all 11 of its tournaments this season, posting six victories. The Bruins won the Pac-12 Conference Championships (April 22-24) by 12 shots, shooting under par in all three rounds with a final score of 4-under 860. It was UCLA's second-straight Pac-12 title. The Bruins' other victories have come at the Stanford Intercollegiate (-3, 849, Oct. 16-18), the Nanea Pac-12 Preview (-20, 564, Oct. 23-24), the Battle at the Beach (-13, 839, Nov. 3-5), the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge (+15, 867, Feb. 11-13) and the Wildcat Invitational (-17, 847, March 5-6). The single-season school record for wins is seven (2003-2004, 2008-2009, 2011-2012), while the eight individual victories are the most for one year at UCLA.
The Bruins also placed second at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate (-4, 860, Oct. 1-3), the Bruin Wave Invitational (+40, 904, Feb. 26-27) and the NCAA San Francisco Regional (-4, 860, May 7-9) and tied for third at the SDSU March Mayhem (+10, 298, March 26, only one round of stroke play) and the Silverado Showdown (+6, 870, April 8-10).
UCLA is a combined 16-under par in its second (-5) and third rounds (-11) this season. The Bruins have finished under par in seven tournaments and have been under par in 15 of their 30 rounds. The Bruins' 287.27 scoring average is the second best in school history (287.22 in 2013-2014).
STARTING FIVE
PATTY TAVATANAKIT
Freshman Patty Tavatanakit, an All-Pac-12 Conference First Team honoree and the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month for April, is coming off her fourth career victory and third in a row, winning the NCAA San Francisco Regional by one shot. She shot an 8-under 208 for the third straight time, opening with a 4-under 68 and closing with a 5-under 67. Her 70.46 scoring average is the second-best, full-season mark in UCLA history behind her teammate Lilia Vu.
Tavatanakit, who is on the WGCA Player and Freshman of the Year, and ANNIKA Award Watch Lists, won a one-hole playoff against Vu at the Pac-12 Championships (-8, 208), shooting a pair of 3-under 69s and a 2-under 70. She shared medalist honors at the Silverado Showdown (-8, 208), getting better each day with a 1-under 71, a 3-under 69 and a 4-under 68, including two birdies on her last three holes to tie for the win. The freshman also tied for first at the Stanford Intercollegiate (-6, 207), going under par in all three rounds at that event. Her four victories are the most for a freshman in one season at UCLA.
Tavatanakit has six Top 10s and hasn't finished worse than T-16 in her nine events. She has 16 under-par rounds and 10 in the 60s. Prior to her final-round, 5-under 67 at the NCAA Regional, Tavatanakit's best under-par round was a 5-under 68 in the second round at Nanea, where she placed third (-5, 141), while her low score was a 4-under 67 to close out her win at Stanford. Tavatanakit opened her career with a second-place finish at the ANNIKA (-5, 211).
LILIA VU
Junior Lilia Vu, the top-ranked amateur in the world, an All-Pac-12 First Team honoree and a member of the ANNIKA Award and WGCA Player of the Year Watch Lists, has won four of her nine events, finishing T-6 or better in eight of those tournaments. She has 19 under-par rounds, with 12 of them in the 60s, which is a single-season school record. The 19 under-par rounds are one shy of a single-season school record (20 by Alison Lee - 2013-2014 and Bronte Law - 2015-2016).
Vu's four wins, all in a row, came at the Battle at the Beach (-8, 205), the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge (-1, 212), the Bruin Wave Invitational (-1, 215) and the Wildcat Invitational (-14, 202). She tied for the low score at the Pac-12 Championships (-8, 208) before losing the one-hole playoff to Patty Tavatanakit. Her victory at the Wildcat was the eighth of her career to set a new UCLA record, while her 14-under score was the best 54-hole total in school history.
The winner of three Pac-12 Golfer of the Month awards this season (November 2017, February and March 2018), Vu was second at Nanea (-7, 139), T-5 at Silverado (-3, 213), T-6 at Stanford (E, 213) and T-22 at the NCAA Regional (+1, 217). Vu's best round of the year was an 8-under 64 to open the Wildcat Invite. Her 70.15 scoring average is the best full-season mark in school history.
If either Vu or Tavatanakit win the NCAA Championships, they would break the UCLA single-season record for most wins in a season. Vu has won four times in each of the last two years, Tavatanakit four times this season and Charlotte Mayorkas in 2003-2004.
MARIEL GALDIANO
Sophomore Mariel Galdiano, who was named All-Pac-12 First Team, tied for third at the NCAA San Francisco Regional, shooting a 6-under 210. She shot an opening-round, 6-under 66 and closed with a 3-under 69. It was her fifth Top 10 of the season and eighth Top 20, as Galdiano has 14 under-par rounds and eight rounds in the 60s.
The sophomore placed second in the single round of stroke play at the SDSU March Mayhem, shooting a 2-under 70. She was under par in all three rounds at the Wildcat Invite, where she was second to Lilia Vu with a total of 11-under 205. Galdiano also tied for fourth at the Bruin Wave (+8, 224), tied for fifth at Nanea (-2, 144), was 11th at Stanford (+3, 216) and tied for 11th at both the ANNIKA (-1, 215) and the Battle of the Beach (E, 213). Prior to her opening round in San Francisco, her season low came in the final trip at the Wildcat when she shot a 5-under 67. Galdiano was 29th at Pac-12s (+9, 225), shooting a 1-under 71 in the second round.
BETH WU
Junior Beth Wu, who along with Mariel Galdiano is one of two Bruins to play in all 11 events this season, has four Top 10s and five Top 20s. She has shot seven under-par rounds and a pair in the 60s. Wu, named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team, was fourth at Nanea (-4, 142), finishing with a 5-under 68. She also tied for sixth at both the Stanford Intercollegiate (E, 213) and the Battle at the Beach (-3, 210), the latter tournament shooting a final-round, 5-under 66. Wu opened the fall with a fifth-place showing at the NGRC (+2, 215), while posting a pair of under-par rounds to close out a T-16 showing at the ANNIKA (+1, 217). She tied for 23rd at Pac-12s (+6, 222) and tied for 74th at the NCAA San Francisco Regional (+12, 228).
CLARE LEGASPI
Sophomore Clare Legaspi will be playing in her ninth event at the NCAA Championships and has a pair of Top 20s, tying for 11th at Nanea (+1, 147) and tying for 16th at the ANNIKA (+1, 217). She has three under-par rounds, shooting a 2-under 69 to open the Battle at the Beach (T-42, +9, 222), a 2-under 70 in her middle round at the ANNIKA and a 1-under 72 in the opening round at Nanea. Legaspi tied for 38th (+13, 229) at Pac-12s and tied for 74th at the NCAA Regional (+12, 228).
SEVEN-YEAR ITCH?: HISTORY AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
UCLA's two most recent NCAA Championships came seven years ago (2011 in Bryan, Texas) and seven years prior to that (2004 in Auburn, Ala.), both under current head coach Carrie Forsyth, who is in her 19th season at the helm of the Bruins. UCLA also hoisted the trophy in 1991 (Columbus, Ohio) under former coach Jackie Steinmann. The best finish for a UCLA player at the NCAA Championships came in 2008 when Tiffany Joh tied for first, however, she lost the individual title in a playoff. The Bruins also have a trio of third-place individual finishes (1996, Kathy Choi; Susie Mathews, 2004; Amie Cochran, 2005, T-3).
In the Bruins' last trip to the NCAA Championships in 2016 (Eugene, Ore.), UCLA finished first in stroke play (-8, 1,144) by three shots over Stanford. The Bruins were under par in three of the four rounds, including a 6-under 282 in the final round. Lilia Vu, then a freshman, had the best UCLA finish (T-6, -5, 283), with Beth Wu, also in her first year in 2016, tying for 27th (+2, 290). The Bruins would go on to win the match play quarters with a 4-0-1 victory over Oregon before falling 3-1-1 to eventual national champion Washington in the semifinals.
In their 24 previous trips to the NCAA Championships, the Bruins have finished the stroke play portion in the Top 8 on 19 occasions (1st - 4 times; 2nd - 4 times; 3rd - 2 times; 4th - 2 times; 5th - 4 times; 6th - 2 times; 8th - 1 time).
MATCH PLAY SUCCESS
The Bruins' starting five has had a wealth of success in the collegiate match play format. In three seasons of collegiate match play, Beth Wu is 10-5-2, while Lilia Vu, who didn't appear in the Bruins' match play tournament in San Diego this season, is 10-2-2. Sophomore Clare Legaspi is 4-3-1, sophomore Mariel Galdiano is 3-4-1 and freshman Patty Tavatanakit is 2-1.
Vu and Wu each competed at the last NCAAs trip for UCLA and went 1-0-1 and 0-1-1, respectively, in 2016 in Eugene.
Players Mentioned
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