Aggies conclude season in Bradenton, Fla.
The UC Davis women’s golf team ended their four-day run at the Division 1 Women’s Golf Championships in Bradenton, Fla. finishing just six shots short of the Match Play Championship last Monday. Topping out at 11th place, the Aggies made program history with the highest-ever UC Davis finish at the Division I Finals.
Despite faltering on the fourth day, the No. 22 nationally ranked Aggies finished well above No. 11 and No. 3 ranked Wake Forest and UCLA, who placed No. 13 and No. 15 respectively. The University of Southern California, Duke University, Baylor University, Stanford University, Arizona State University, University of Washington, Texas Tech University and University of Tennessee all advanced to the Match Play Championship.
Round 1 of the finals at the 72-par Concession Golf Club saw a 1-over performance from Aggie sophomore Paige Lee. Lee fell to 7-over in the second round, but regrouped with a 3 and 5-over in the third and fourth respectively to lead UC Davis with a No. 34 individual placement in the tournament.
Senior Beverly Vatananugulkit topped at 43rd overall, finishing her collegiate golf career momentously with an even-par in the fourth after hitting an eagle in the 17th hole. Junior Betty Chen saw an even-par performance in the second round, with four birdies and an eagle, to finish at 47th overall. Finalizing the season with a 60th overall, Junior Andrea Wong encountered rough edges with 9-over scores in the third and fourth rounds after a consistent 4-over run in the first and second. Senior Blair Lewis rounded out the Aggies with a 62nd placement overall, hitting a 1-over in the third round .
“An 11th-place finish in the national championship is a really good accomplishment after a year of really hard work,” said head coach Anna Temple. “We were so close to advancing to match play, so we know it is out there for us. It will leave us hungry to work that much better next season. I know our returners would like to have another opportunity. All in all, competing in the final tournament of the year in the final stroke play round of the year is a pretty great thing.”
The conclusion of the NCAA finals marks the end of the season for UC Davis women’s golf. The Aggies will look to begin their conquest again in fall 2015, returning three of their five regular players.
Graphic by Jennifer Wu.
