W. golf begins quest for second NCAA title

W. golf begins quest for second NCAA title

No. 5 UCLA stops off in Tucson for Western Regionals before
NCAAs

By Hye Kwon

Daily Bruin Staff

In the culmination of a season-long battle, the UCLA women’s
golf team will embark on its journey to capture its second NCAA
title today by competing in the NCAA Western Regionals.

The Bruins are ranked fifth in the nation in the latest polls,
but their strong second-place performance at the Pac-10
Championships proved that they are capable of rising to the
occasion.

"Winning the National Championship is the goal of the team and
it’s certainly my goal," head coach Jackie Tobian-Steinmann said.
"It’s time to stop preparing and it’s time to play."

The Bruins will be joined by numerous other hungry golf teams at
the tournament. In all, 18 teams will compete for the top 11 spots
which will advance to the NCAA Finals.

One team in particular is perennial power Arizona State. This
season, the Sun Devils are No. 1 once again and figure to be the
team to beat. Other teams that will likely offer a challenge to the
Bruins are San Jose State, Arizona and Texas.

If there’s one thing that the Bruins can boast about in the
midst of such stiff competition, it is their superior driving
skills. The Bruins have been hitting the ball hard with consistency
and Tobian-Steinmann contends that they are the best in the
country.

However, a weakness can be spotted in the team’s ability to make
the short chip shots. All season long, the Bruins have been
struggling to execute their shots from about 50-75 yards out.

"Our approach shot is the key," Tobian-Steinmann said. "I think
it’s the only place we can get better."

UCLA is led by a veteran golfer Jennifer Choi, who is ranked
26th in the country. Choi has been the top finisher for the Bruins
in four of the last six tournaments. Choi, a second team All-Pac-10
performer, has the lowest scoring average on the team with a mark
of 75.76.

Jeong-Min Park will play a vital role at the Randolph North Golf
Club in Tucson, Ariz. Park, currently ranked 30th in the nation,
started the season with a win at the BYU Classic, leading the team
to the tournament victory. Since then, the sophomore has been the
Bruins’ top finisher on four different occasions.

The three other golfers to compete at Tucson are Kathy Choi,
Betty Chen and Eunice Choi, ranked 34th, 41st and 94th in the
country respectively.