W.golf: Bruins bag third tournament victory

Coming into the spring season, many people believed UCLA had a
dominant golf team that had a legitimate shot at claiming the
national championship.

But few thought it would be the women’s squad stealing the
show.

No. 2 UCLA marched its way to its third tournament victory in
four tries this spring, claiming first place at the Ping/ASU
Invitational on Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Arizona with a
collective 3-under par performance.

“They played great today. phenomenal,” coach Carrie
Forsythe said. “Today is the best we played in a pressure
situation this year.”

As has been the case in each of their victories this year, the
Bruins blew away the rest of the field, finishing 16 shots ahead of
second-place USC.

In its recent stretch of dominance, UCLA has been propelled by
the steady and solid play of team leader junior Charlotte Mayorkas,
who apparently likes the way Karsten sets up for her game.

Last year at Karsten, Mayorkas broke the Bruin records for
lowest single round score and lowest 54-hole total en route to
securing her first individual collegiate title. Hopefully the
record books are kept in pencil, because Mayorkas broke those same
two records again Sunday.

Entering the final round at 2-under par, Mayorkas made easy work
of the 6230-yard, par-72 Karsten course and fired a 7-under 65 to
finish the three-round tournament at 9-under par, both of which are
new UCLA records. Mayorkas claimed her third individual title of
the spring, finishing five shots ahead of teammate Gina Umeck.

Mayorkas’ scorecard over the last two rounds was
essentially spotless. After carding a bogey on the first hole of
Saturday’s second round, Mayorkas posted nothing but birdies
and pars over her next 35 holes, including six birdies on the back
nine of Sunday’s round.

“The course is very scorable,” Mayorkas said.

Umeck, who hadn’t played in the team’s past two
events, was the only other Bruin to finish in red figures, shooting
68 and 70 over the last two rounds to finish the event at 4-under
par.

Senior Krystal Shearer continued her recent hot play, posting a
2-under par 70 in the second round en route to finishing in a tie
for 12th place at 3-over par.

Freshman Hannah Jun (7-over par) and sophomore Susie Mathews
(11-over par) finished in ties for 27th and 44th, respectively.