Women's golf driven to maintain success and NCAA title in 2011-2012 season
Women’s golf season preview
Key returner:
Stephanie Kono, senior
Kono has spent her sophomore and junior seasons leading the Bruins as a first- and second-team All-American, respectively. She will look to do the same next season.
This article is part of the Daily Bruin's Orientation Issue 2011 coverage. To view the entire package of articles, columns and multimedia, please visit:
By Chris Nguyen
June 26, 2011 11:43 p.m.
The women’s golf team brought back Westwood’s lone national championship title of the 2010-2011 school year. Alongside the trophy were numerous awards and accolades that come as a perk of being the best in the nation.
Five Bruins received Golfweek All-America honors: recently graduated senior Glory Yang, rising senior Stephanie Kono, rising juniors Lee Lopez and Tiffany Lua and rising sophomore Ani Gulugian.
Kono and Lua were named to the second team, with Lopez named to the third. Yang and Gulugian both received honorable mention. All five were starters at the NCAA Championship.
However, the greatest honor of all belonged to head coach Carrie Forsyth, who was named Golfweek’s National Coach of the Year. All five starters were also recognized by the Pac-10, as well as Forsyth. Kono, Lopez and Lua were named to the first team All-Conference, while Yang and Gulugian were named to the second team.
Forsyth was once again named the best in her field and received the title of Pac-10 Coach of the Year. UCLA will be returning four starters next year as they begin a new campaign to defend their national championship title.
The Bruins will be strong and in contention for another national championship for the 2012-2013 season as well. Kono is returning and Lua was the top finisher at the NCAA Championship for UCLA and tied for fourth overall and had five top-5 finishes, the most on the team.
Lopez and Yang both had strong seasons as well. Lopez had three top-10 finishes while Yang had six top-20 finishes this past season. The youngest member on the Bruin squad didn’t have any problems transitioning to the college game as Gulugian had seven top-20 finishes, including an impressive tie for third place at the Regional Challenge in February.
Forsyth’s masterful leadership and direction should prove to be formidable once again as the Bruins prepare to defend their title.
Compiled by Chris Nguyen, Bruin Sports senior staff.
