Post-Round Quotes – NCAA Women's Golf Championships Match Play Final
NCAA Women’s Golf Championships Match Play Final
Stanford 3, UCLA 2
May 22, 2024
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa North Course (Carlsbad, Calif.)
UCLA head coach Alicia Um Holmes
on today’s match play final
“I think the ladies started off a little bit nervous and a little adrenalized. We didn’t play our normal golf. I don’t know if that’s because of the nerves or if it was a little fatigue, but we just didn’t make any putts today in the beginning and that put us in a bad place. After we settled in we did play our normal games, but Stanford was just too tough.”
on the team’s experience here at Omni La Costa
“I thought it was great. The course is a challenge but pretty fair. When the wind blows, the last few holes can be a little dicey. Other than that, everything has been great. The weather is so nice and staying at the resort is pretty amazing. My commute to breakfast was one minute. I’m kind of thinking maybe we should have it here all the time. That’s truly my thought.”
reflecting on the season and this year’s team
“When we first started, it was a brand-new bunch and we had four new players along with four returners. I really didn’t know what to expect. I was just hoping they would mesh well together and that maybe we could do something. Right off the bat at one of our first tournaments, we shot one of our lowest team scores in the record books, so I thought maybe we do have something here. Then we won our next tournament. We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves and tried to stay in the present and take it day-by-day. The ladies really worked hard and bought into our message of progress over results and just being your best you. We had a lot of fun together, and I’m really grateful for that. They are such a wonderful group of ladies. They are really sweet, nice and generous. I think I just hit the jackpot and am really lucky.”
on the message to the team after coming up short
“Golf is tough and at the end of each week there’s only one winner. So, I don’t want them to rate their experience this week on the fact that we lost the final match. They did so well. To even get to the finals is awesome and we had a chance, but we just didn’t do it today.”
UCLA junior Caroline Canales
on the team’s run to the championship match
“This week has been magical. It’s been a long week, but we had so much fun with our team and coaches Alicia (Um Holmes) and Erynne (Yoo). This is what we’ve been working for all year. To come here and make both cuts (in stroke play) and then to advance to the final match is really a dream come true for us.”
thoughts on the entire season
“We had a lot of turnover from last year. We had four new people come in and had four graduate and move on. It was a new team and we kind of hit the ground running. We won an elite event in the fall at Northwestern’s tournament, and we’ve had a few wins since then. I think there’s a lot to be proud of this year. Even though this is a heart-breaking end, we have a lot to be happy about.”
experience here at Omni La Costa
“They’ve really done a phenomenal job. The course is obviously beautiful and it’s really challenging with the firm greens and the wind in the afternoon. It’s a really good test, and that’s what you want at a national championship. It’s obviously really nice that they let all the teams stay here as well. We’re eating here, staying here and having a lot of fun here, so we’re really grateful that they are hosting.”
UCLA junior Zoe Antoinette Campos
on competing in Alicia Um Holmes' first year as head coach
“It means a lot (to compete in Um Holmes’ first year as head coach). I love Alicia to death. I think I was really comfortable with her by my side. She knows my game and she knows me, and that’s what I want in a coach.”
on watching Caroline Canales' success this week
“Yeah, we came in together and I love Caroline and I love her game and she’s such a fiery person. That’s what we need out here sometimes. I’m proud of her and her growth too.”
on her stroke play finish
"I feel pretty good. A little bit disappointed with my overall performance in stroke play. I feel like I could have hit the ball a little bit better and made some puts, but I was pretty consistent overall so nothing to be unhappy about."
thoughts on the entire season
"I feel like with a lot of transfers coming in this year we didn't know what to expect, but as the year we went on we grew super close together and I think that's what helped us play better too. The camaraderie between us is just really important."
Stanford 3, UCLA 2
May 22, 2024
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa North Course (Carlsbad, Calif.)
UCLA head coach Alicia Um Holmes
on today’s match play final
“I think the ladies started off a little bit nervous and a little adrenalized. We didn’t play our normal golf. I don’t know if that’s because of the nerves or if it was a little fatigue, but we just didn’t make any putts today in the beginning and that put us in a bad place. After we settled in we did play our normal games, but Stanford was just too tough.”
on the team’s experience here at Omni La Costa
“I thought it was great. The course is a challenge but pretty fair. When the wind blows, the last few holes can be a little dicey. Other than that, everything has been great. The weather is so nice and staying at the resort is pretty amazing. My commute to breakfast was one minute. I’m kind of thinking maybe we should have it here all the time. That’s truly my thought.”
reflecting on the season and this year’s team
“When we first started, it was a brand-new bunch and we had four new players along with four returners. I really didn’t know what to expect. I was just hoping they would mesh well together and that maybe we could do something. Right off the bat at one of our first tournaments, we shot one of our lowest team scores in the record books, so I thought maybe we do have something here. Then we won our next tournament. We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves and tried to stay in the present and take it day-by-day. The ladies really worked hard and bought into our message of progress over results and just being your best you. We had a lot of fun together, and I’m really grateful for that. They are such a wonderful group of ladies. They are really sweet, nice and generous. I think I just hit the jackpot and am really lucky.”
on the message to the team after coming up short
“Golf is tough and at the end of each week there’s only one winner. So, I don’t want them to rate their experience this week on the fact that we lost the final match. They did so well. To even get to the finals is awesome and we had a chance, but we just didn’t do it today.”
UCLA junior Caroline Canales
on the team’s run to the championship match
“This week has been magical. It’s been a long week, but we had so much fun with our team and coaches Alicia (Um Holmes) and Erynne (Yoo). This is what we’ve been working for all year. To come here and make both cuts (in stroke play) and then to advance to the final match is really a dream come true for us.”
thoughts on the entire season
“We had a lot of turnover from last year. We had four new people come in and had four graduate and move on. It was a new team and we kind of hit the ground running. We won an elite event in the fall at Northwestern’s tournament, and we’ve had a few wins since then. I think there’s a lot to be proud of this year. Even though this is a heart-breaking end, we have a lot to be happy about.”
experience here at Omni La Costa
“They’ve really done a phenomenal job. The course is obviously beautiful and it’s really challenging with the firm greens and the wind in the afternoon. It’s a really good test, and that’s what you want at a national championship. It’s obviously really nice that they let all the teams stay here as well. We’re eating here, staying here and having a lot of fun here, so we’re really grateful that they are hosting.”
UCLA junior Zoe Antoinette Campos
on competing in Alicia Um Holmes' first year as head coach
“It means a lot (to compete in Um Holmes’ first year as head coach). I love Alicia to death. I think I was really comfortable with her by my side. She knows my game and she knows me, and that’s what I want in a coach.”
on watching Caroline Canales' success this week
“Yeah, we came in together and I love Caroline and I love her game and she’s such a fiery person. That’s what we need out here sometimes. I’m proud of her and her growth too.”
on her stroke play finish
"I feel pretty good. A little bit disappointed with my overall performance in stroke play. I feel like I could have hit the ball a little bit better and made some puts, but I was pretty consistent overall so nothing to be unhappy about."
thoughts on the entire season
"I feel like with a lot of transfers coming in this year we didn't know what to expect, but as the year we went on we grew super close together and I think that's what helped us play better too. The camaraderie between us is just really important."