Bruins fail to stand on podium for Olympic women’s golf tournament
Former member of UCLA women’s golf Mariajo Uribe follows through on a swing. Uribe competed in Paris for her third and final Olympic Games and finished at 10th. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Sabrina Messiha
Aug. 11, 2024 4:48 p.m.
A podium finish was not in the cards for Bruin golfers at the Olympic Games.
Despite being ranked second internationally, former member of UCLA women’s golf Lilia Vu finished tied for 36th after four rounds of stroke play at Le Golf National. Boasting the top two female golfers in the world, Team USA seemingly fell short of expectations as both Vu and No. 1 Nelly Korda sat outside of the top 20 after round four.
But one former Bruin unexpectedly impressed.
After the first round of play, Mariajo Uribe perched in medal contention after hitting 2 under par. Although she began to slip on day two and ultimately finished tied for 10th at 4 under, Uribe’s performance exceeded expectations.
The 34-year-old is ranked No. 196 worldwide, with just 14 top-10 finishes throughout her career. Because of her lower international rank, the Colombian athlete was handpicked by her home country to compete in the Olympics rather than achieving automatic qualification as the world’s top 15 did.
Uribe originally planned to retire following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but, after becoming pregnant, decided to push her final sendoff to the Paris Games. Compared to fellow Bruins, she was closest in the running for a podium.
Vu sunk to 27th following a 4-over-par result in the third round, while a fellow former Bruin in Austria’s Emma Spitz fell out of the top 30 to rank 32nd after hitting 3 over.
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit – who competed at UCLA from 2017 to 2019 – was the only Bruin to rise in the rankings on the third day, climbing from 29th to finish 17th after hitting 4 under.
The contingent of Bruins all sank in the final round. Uribe was the highest finisher, placing 10th after hitting two birdies and an eagle on the final day.
Behind her sat Tavatanakit and Spitz who tied for 29th after hitting an overall 2-over 290.
And despite being ranked highest internationally of the Bruins, Vu ended her Olympic debut at 36th, finishing with a 5-over 293.
While Uribe will bid adieu to international golf, it’s just a fraction of the story for Vu, Tavatanakit and Spitz.
