TAYLOR BIRD
Sports Assistant
The Pepperdine women’s golf team, led by freshman Taylore Karle, totaled 914 strokes to finish in a tie for eighth place at the Northtrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif. This was the Waves’ first tournament of the spring.
A total of 15 schools participated, and UCLA took first place with 876 strokes, followed by Florida (883) and USC (887). Karle shot 216 to notch a second-place tie with junior Azahara Munoz of Arizona State.
Pepperdine got off to a solid start in the first round of the tournament Monday by shooting 14-over 298 to put themselves in a second-place tie.
On Tuesday, the Waves dropped to seventh place after posting a team score of 306, bringing their stroke total to 604. Karle moved into first place, helped out by an eagle on the 11th hole, to finish with an even-par 71 on the day.
The Waves shot a 310 in the third and final round Wednesday to close the tournament with a final score of 914.
Karle struggled out of the gates with a bogey on the first and fourth holes, but birdies on the sixth and ninth holes brought her score to an even-par 35 after nine. But three bogeys in the second half of the round, coupled with a double bogey on the 14th hole, put her score at 75 on the day and 216 overall.
“Taylore had a good tournament,” Head Coach Laurie Gibbs said. “This was the first time for her to play this golf course … she beat some outstanding players.”
Despite her strong finish, Karle said she was disappointed with the result.
“I lost by one shot,” she said. “I just couldn’t get enough putts to fall, and it felt like I was working against the odds.”
The other Waves who participated in the tournament were senior Stephanie Gelleni, finishing with 228 strokes, senior Leanne Bowditch with 229, junior Jayvie Agojo (243) and freshman Martine de Gannes (248), who was playing in her first collegiate tournament.
Bowditch said she was dissatisfied by her finish but is determined to “go out and win a couple of tournaments and keep working hard.”
After the tournament, Gibbs said she and her players were sad to hear about the passing of Chris Sangster, Pepperdine assistant dean of advancement and alumni relations, who was a big supporter of the women’s golf team.
The Waves return to action Feb. 25, when they travel to Tucson, Ariz., to participate in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational.
02-14-2008