SHUHEI MATSUO
Sports Assistant
The nation’s No.-5 Pepperdine women’s golf team began its 2006 campaign at this week’s Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. Despite the poor scores on the first and the second days at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes, Calif., the Waves concluded the season opener with T-7.
Although the par-71 course was merely 5,932 yards, all teams struggled and ended the tournament far from even-par.
Tournament leader Arizona State, which entered the final round one shot behind USC, carded the low round of the day with a 16-over 300 to edge the Trojans by a stroke Wednesday. The Sun Devils claimed the team title with a 40-over 892.
Following Arizona State, California’s 908, Wake Forest’s 909 and Oklahoma State’s 910 rounded out the top five.
The Waves tied for seventh place with a 67-over 919 and ended their streak of 15-straight top-five showings, which dates back to the 2005 season.
Individually, USC’s Irene Cho shot a final-round even-par score of 71 to finish at 1-over 214 and claimed medalist honors. Following Cho, Arizona State’s Jennifer Osborn, California’s Sophie Andersson, Wake Forest’s Nannette Hill and USC’s Paola Moreno rounded out the top five.
Pepperdine’s best finish was junior All-American Eileen Vargas’ 13-over 226, which tied for the 12th place.
Sophomore Marina Choi carder rounds of 75, 79 and 75 and tied for 22nd and senior Carolina Llano finished in a tie for 26th after rounds of 76, 77 and 77.
Despite an unsatisfying result for No.-5 Pepperdine at its season-opening tournament, Head Coach Laurie Gibbs did not sound disappointed. Rather she said the high scores came from playing on a challenging course.
“The course was very difficult,” she said. “It was a difficult course that requires a lot of strategies.”
She also attributed the high scores as the two-month absence from competition.
“We were a little rusty,” Gibbs said. “But we are learning to regain confidence.”
The Waves finished the 2005 NCAA Championship in fourth place. However, Gibbs said she tries not worry about how she wants her team to do at this year’s biggest college golf tournament.
“Our goal is to really focus on one shot at the time and to do the best we can,” she said. “We are focusing on the process, not the outcome.”
The Waves are next in action at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational, which starts Monday at the Tucson National Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz and finished Wednesday, Feb. 22.
02-16-2006
