UCLA women’s golf ace Tiffany Lua, No. 16 in the nation, is no stranger to the big stage ahead of NCAA Regionals competition

Tiffany Lua started swimming competitively at age four. When she was eight, her grandparents took her out for a day with their friends at the golf course. It was there that the young Lua played her first-ever round, amidst a group of golfers at least 50 years her senior.

Two years later, Lua played in her first golf tournament. Though she tried for a time to balance two sports, she and her parents eventually decided that two sports was one too many, that she needed to pick one to focus on excelling in.

Lua decided against swimming because of her height ““ it looked like she would not grow exceptionally tall, inhibiting her ability to reach the wall first.

Her decision appears to have paid off. Lua is one of the top golfers on the No. 2 UCLA team, which is currently preparing for NCAA Regionals.

“Golf is one of those sports you can do forever, and it’s really low-key relaxing; I just really liked it,” Lua said.
When it came time to choose a college, UCLA outshone the rest for Lua. Although the campus and classes had an impact on her decision, she especially loved the strong family in the women’s golf program at UCLA.

She calls coach Carrie Forsyth her second mother, and assistant coach Alicia Um-Holmes the older sister she never had. She has known her teammates since they all participated in junior golf.

Now, the sophomore is ranked No. 16 nationally. She has been traveling with the team since her first collegiate competition. She has four top-10 finishes this season, and was just named to the All-Pac-10 team for the second year in a row.

When senior Glory Yang watches younger members of the team learn and grow, she says that one word describes how she feels: proud. She loves watching younger players like Lua living up to their potential.

But Lua’s accomplishments extend past the collegiate level. She has participated in several national tournaments, including several U.S. Women’s Amateur Events and three U.S. Women’s Opens.

These national tournaments bear little difference from collegiate events; many of the same players are there, the only difference is that they play for themselves rather than for a school.

And Lua’s experience does not stop with national tournaments. Last year, she was named to the United States’ 2010 Curtis Cup Team.

The Curtis Cup is a competition for amateur female golfers from the U.S., Great Britain and Ireland. It occurs only once every two years.

“It was so much fun,” Lua said. “Every time you get a chance to represent your country, it’s a huge honor.”

Playing for one’s country means representing an entire nation. It means focus from the country’s golf enthusiasts and having the nation’s hopes placed upon one’s shoulders. Lua and the team did not disappoint, winning the competition and taking the United States’ seventh straight Curtis Cup.

Although winning the Curtis Cup was exhilarating, it was tough to balance with schoolwork. Lua had to take her finals after school had ended, as the tournament overlapped with finals week. The sophomore has learned to work through the dual responsibilities.

“As long as you just (apply) time management and study when you can and try to get some rest in between, it’s manageable, you can do it,” she said.

Lua had a familiar face alongside her at the Curtis Cup. When the team was announced, not just one, but two UCLA golfers were on the list ““ Lua and junior Stephanie Kono.

“It was nice for both of us to compete alongside each other again, for our country this time,” Lua said.

“It was really nice to have a familiar face on the team,” Kono said. “It helped, and we had a lot of fun together.”

When Lua talks about her teammates, she radiates enthusiasm. For a sport that, outside of college, is usually played individually, the team dynamic has become very important to her.

“You’ve played for yourself your whole junior career, so it’s fun playing with a team, having someone to practice with, having your teammates support you. It definitely motivates you,” Lua said.
Yang agreed that the team atmosphere helps the golfers flourish.
“We feel like a family unit,” she said. “We encourage one another and are always there for each other.”

Lua is now ensconced in the world of golf, and she wants to stay. After completing her degree at UCLA, she plans to go professional.
Though she has plans for the future, Lua is focused on her time at UCLA, and using it to hone her skills and compete in various tournaments.

“With each tournament and with each year, there’s still so much that you can learn and that you can improve on,” Lua said. “It’s just about building your experience and working harder.”