UCLA women’s golf will seek its third national title at the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas

The UCLA women’s golf team has shifted between the top three spots in the nation all season. This week, the Bruins will solidify their final spot in the national standings.

A field of 24 teams assembles today in College Station, Texas at the Traditions Golf Course for the NCAA Championships.

It marks UCLA’s 11th straight championship berth. The team has won two titles, one in 1991 and another in 2004.

Despite being on the national stage, the Bruins are unfazed about the high stakes that come with the championships.

“We look at it just like any other tournament,” freshman Ani Gulugian said. “Yeah, we bring a little something extra, but we work hard for all our competitions.”

Gulugian, redshirt sophomore Lee Lopez, sophomore Tiffany Lua, senior Glory Yang and junior Stephanie Kono, who was recently named the UCLA/Muscle Milk Athlete of the Week, will represent UCLA in Texas.

Coach Carrie Forsyth is confident in the team’s chances, especially because each golfer has had a first- or second-place finish on the year.

“Can you imagine if we had that kind of a week, if every one of our players was in the top five?” Forsyth said. “We can do it.”

“Every girl on the team has worked really hard this year, and you can really tell,” Lopez added.

Forsyth has taken to a new approach lately to prepare her players. She blamed herself for the team’s less-than-ideal third-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships in April; she spent time drilling all the players at once on what she saw as errors in their game. In practicing for NCAAs, Forsyth had them play some golf against one another.

In playing and competing, any issues in the players’ skills will work themselves out, according to Forsyth.

“There are certain things each player does so that they feel good about their game,” she said. “If they didn’t get the time to do those things that make them feel better, they aren’t going to play their best.”

“I feel really prepared,” Lopez said. “We worked really hard on our all-around game and played a lot. … It was really fun and really competitive.”

The main issue for the Bruins this season has been weather ““ winds and rain have often been the deciding factor between finishing in first and third place. However, the hot and muggy weather in Texas will be a new experience for the Bruins. Instead of interfering with the golfers’ shots, it can interfere with their health.

“We’re mostly concerned with keeping hydrated and managing our energy,” Gulugian said.

All five of UCLA’s competing golfers played at the same course in the Fall Preview in September. Forsyth said each and every hole on the course is distinct, making it easy for the golfers to remember what they need to do well on each hole.

“We just feel like we have a really good shot,” Forsyth said. “If we play the way that we can play … we can do it.”