Local Golfers Turn It On at NCAA Tournament

Some funny things happened to the local women’s golf teams at the NCAA Division I championships last week at the oddly named Howey-in-the-Hills near Orlando, Fla.

Over the first two days, UCLA senior Laura Moffat took a surprising lead, then freshman teammates Melissa Martin and Gina Umeck helped keep the Bruins in contention for the title. USC made up for a late-season stumble and standout sophomore Candie Kung made a charge in what was likely her final collegiate tournament.

Overall, UCLA finished in a tie for fifth, USC took seventh and Pepperdine finished 14th. Georgia claimed the national title Friday with a three-stroke victory over Duke.

The Trojans were ranked among the top five most of the season but barely qualified for the national tournament with a subpar showing at the NCAA regionals the previous week in Corvallis, Ore.

They lived up to their advance billing by sitting in third place after 18 holes. Kung shot 72, freshman Anna Rawson had a 73 and Mikaela Parmlid carded a 74. However, USC was done in by a poor second round and could not make up enough ground to make a serious run.

Kung, who shot a 74 in Wednesday’s second round, finished with rounds of 71 and 70 for a one-under 287. She wound up three shots behind Duke’s Candie Hannemann and Arizona’s Lorena Ochoa.

“The whole year, I seemed to shoot high, like 75, in the first round and then try to catch up to the leaders,” said Kung, a former American Junior Golf Assn. player of the year. “This 72, I was pretty happy with because it was easier to catch up.

“On the second day, I wasn’t feeling well and I was taking [aspirin]. I felt a lot better in the third round.”

Kung’s late run at the title was expected. Moffat’s ride was not.

The Scottish golfer had two top-10 finishes this season, but her average score was only 76 in 30 rounds.

Moffat burned up the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort course with consecutive three-under 69s to lead by two strokes over Auburn’s Celeste Troche.

After a 75 on Thursday, Moffat still trailed by only one shot. She could not recapture the magic of the first two days as a final-round 76 left her with a one-over 289 for a sixth-place tie with Pepperdine’s Lindsey Wright.

However, Moffat’s efforts, combined with the solid play of Martin and Umeck, helped the Bruins finish ahead of the Trojans and defending NCAA champion Arizona. Martin’s 296 and Umeck’s 298 placed among the top 30 individuals.

It was the final tournament for Moffat, who will continue her studies in psychobiology in graduate school. Kung, a two-time Pacific 10 champion and All-American, said she is “80% toward turning pro.”

In April, Kung played in the LPGA Office Depot tournament at Wilshire Country Club and finished in a tie for 21st. She said she will make a decision after the U.S. Women’s Amateur, which is July 30-Aug. 4 at Andover, Kan.

In their first NCAA Grand Final appearance Saturday, the USC women’s crew team finished fourth in the varsity eight race at Lake Lanier, Ga.

College Division

Azusa Pacific won a National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics-record 12th men’s track title Saturday but only its first since 1995 by scoring 97 points, 47 ahead of defending champion Life University of Georgia.

Cal State Los Angeles junior Nicole Duncan duplicated her Division II indoor long jump title with one in the outdoor meet Friday at Edwardsville, Ill. Duncan won with a mark of 20-1 1/2.