UCLA Advances to Match Play Portion of NCAA Championships
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The No. 14-seed UCLA women's golf team registered a fourth-place finish in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club Monday.
The Bruins shot a 3-over 291 on day four to make the cut and advance for match play competition on Tuesday and Wednesday.
UCLA will play Auburn, who finished fifth in stroke play, in the match play quarterfinals beginning tomorrow morning. The winner of that matchup will advance to play the winner of Stanford and Georgia in the semifinals.
Stanford finished in first place by three strokes following a 9-over 297 today. The Cardinal's Rose Zhang captured the individual medal to become an NCAA Champion in her freshman season.
Junior Emma Spitz shot up 11 spots on the individual leader board behind a 2-under 70 on day four. Spitz's round was highlighted by a chip-in par save on the par-4 first, an eagle on the par-5 seventh and three birdies on the back nine.
Spitz and Virginia's Beth Lillie are the only two players in the field to notch repeat top-10 finishes. Spitz has finished top 10 in all four of her NCAA postseason competitions.
Freshman Caroline Canales tied for 21st at 6-over par on the tournament. Canales settled down after day one with an even-par 72 and back-to-back 1-over 73s. Canales knocked down three birdies in her fourth round.
Ty Akabane paced the Bruins through the first three days, nestled in the top five. Akabane opened her final round with a 2-under 32 on the front nine featuring four birdies, including three in a row through holes 6-8. A 7-over on the back nine moved Akabane down to tied for 21st with Canales.
Freshman Zoe Antoinette Campos entered in as a substitution for Paltrinieri after day two. Today, Campos posted four birdies, including one to finish her round on the par-5 18th.
Freshman Alessia Nobilio shot a 7-over 79 in the fourth round to drop to 10-over to par. Nobilio tied for 48th.
About the NCAA Championships: The six-day event includes 24 teams and 12 individuals that completed 54 holes of stroke play across the first three days (Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22). After Sunday's third round, the top 15 teams (along with the top nine individuals not on an advancing team) will compete for one additional day of stroke play on Monday to determine the top eight teams for match play competition (as well as the 72-hole stroke play individual champion).
The top eight teams will begin match play on Tuesday, May 24, and the team national championship will be decided on the final day on Wednesday, May 25.
Recapping Regionals: The Bruins tied for second place (+13, 877) in the 14-team field at the NCAA Tallahassee Regionals, hosted by Seminole Legacy Golf Club, to advance to the program's 33rd NCAA Championship tournament. UCLA finished in the top three at NCAA Regionals for the fourth consecutive season.