Golf is a game of minutia.
And after 13 events spanning nine months, the Bruins’ season came down to three shots.
UCLA women’s golf ended its season at the NCAA Tallahassee regional from Monday to Wednesday, finishing sixth – one spot shy of the top-five cutoff needed to advance in the postseason. The Westwood squad carded a 9-over 873 at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club, three strokes behind fifth-place Kentucky and a ticket to a third-straight national championship.
Senior Meghan Royal’s performance carried an extra note of finality, as she ended her collegiate career at the event with a 4-over 220 to tie for 23rd.
“It’s disappointing, because I know that our team has so much potential, but we missed it by a very close margin,” Royal said. “I didn’t know if it was going to be my last tournament or not as a Bruin, and I think my goal was just to enjoy every moment of it, and I definitely did that.”
Royal appeared in 30 events with UCLA after transferring to the program her sophomore year. She led the Bruins in seven tournaments, including posting a below-par score in last year’s national championship.
As the most experienced Bruin on an underclassmen-heavy roster, Royal served as a source of wisdom and confidence coach Alicia Um Holmes said.
“She was the only one that had ever played in the postseason, so she was just trying to share her experience and her knowledge,” Um Holmes said. “I’m just grateful that I had the opportunity to coach her.”
The rest of the team clustered close around Royal, with every competing Bruin finishing within ten strokes of par. Freshman GaEun Athena Yoo tied with Royal for 23rd, while junior Jennifer Seo finished 13th with a 1-over 217, highlighted by a 3-under final round.
Seo’s score came as part of an attempt by the Bruins to surge back on the third day after rain and a consequent two-hour delay toughened the conditions in the second round.
UCLA finished its round before Kentucky and could only wait as the Wildcats closed out their day with three birdies and an eagle across the last three holes, carding a 9-under final round to edge ahead of the Bruins when it mattered most.
“Our top players didn’t really perform like they could. And because of that, we missed it,” Um Holmes said. “Our team didn’t play poorly this week, but we didn’t play good enough to earn it.”
Two of those top players were freshman Kacey Ly and sophomore Jen Lee, both First Team All Big Ten selections this year. Ly tied for 31st at 6-over, marking her highest finish since March, while Lee’s 9-over 38th place was her second-worst of the season.
For Seo, despite the abrupt ending, the year still marked growth in nearly every aspect of her game.
“Overall, I think it was a good season for me,” Seo said. ‘I learned a lot this year. … Coming into college, I was more result-based, and focusing on the process has helped me this year a lot.”
The Bruins should expect to return next season with postseason experience under their belts and an extra summer of development.
For the lone senior, however, the summer will bring a turn of focus toward professional golf. As she leaves her team behind to take on a new chapter, Royal said she will take valued teachings from her time in Westwood along with her.
“What I’ve learned the most is that everything could go the opposite way that you thought it would, and everything still works out,” Royal said. “That is probably the biggest lesson that I’m going to take from being a Bruin.”
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