The Bruins’ winter season entered full swing with a loss to their crosstown rivals.

No. 23 UCLA women’s golf fell to No. 2 USC 3.5-1.5 in the fourth edition of the Battle for LA, evening the series record to 2-2. The event was played at the Rancho La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California, and marked the start of the Bruins’ 2026 campaign.

The contest marked a personal milestone for freshman GaEun Athena Yoo, who played in her second event as a collegiate golfer. Yoo was the only Bruin to find victory in the head-to-head format, defeating USC’s Bailey Shoemaker 5&4.

“At first I was very nervous, and I felt like my game was pretty stiff,” Yoo said. “When I started playing, I felt very relaxed – and it was fun.”

Yoo attributed her strong mental state to the environment created by her teammates and coaches. She added that the match play format played to her strengths, including her desire to play aggressively and her length off the tee.

Coach Alicia Um Holmes said Yoo surpassed her expectations with the winning performance, adding that she was impressed by her ability to turn feedback into results.

“To change something quickly in golf is very, very difficult,” Um Holmes said. “We worked on Tuesday, and we left to the tournament Thursday, and she implemented everything that we talked about. It was really great to see.”

Beyond Yoo’s performance, the rest of the Bruins struggled to keep up with the Trojans. Freshman Kacey Ly was the only other standout, scoring half against USC’s Catherine Park – the ninth-ranked amateur in the world.

The day also saw sophomore Jenny Lee fall 4&3, sophomore Maye Huang fall 2&1 and junior Jennifer Seo drop 3&2.

Um Holmes said the recently redone greens at the course – which UCLA was playing on for the first time – were rolling slow, which may have harmed the team’s putting, as the squad’s practice courses have been rolling quickly as of late. Regardless of the reason for the defeat, she said she still came away with hope for the rest of the year.

“We didn’t win the match, but I saw a lot of good things with our team, especially with our freshmen,” Um Holmes said. “I think they feel positive about the progress they’ve made in their games – it’s exciting for me as a coach”

With the Battle for LA under their belt, the Bruins now have a busy season ahead of them, with six events to battle through before the Big Ten Championship in April. Next up is a return to the Therese Hession Regional Challenge from Feb. 1 to Feb. 3.

Um Holmes said the competition within UCLA’s roster for qualification in that event this upcoming week will be fierce. Yoo added that she had found new confidence in her win, which she’ll bring in that battle for a starting spot.

“It’s a big milestone for me, and it’s definitely a huge confidence booster,” Yoo said. “I can see a lot of good things happening in the near future.”

UCLA Athletics did not make a second athlete available for interview.