The Wildcats competed in the Nanea Pac-12 Preview earlier this week in Kona, Hawaii, finishing with a total team score of 888 (+12). The tournament was hosted by the University of Hawaii on their home course, Nanaea Golf Club. The UCLA Bruins captured first place with a total score of 877 (+1).
Five players competed for the Arizona team, with a sixth player, sophomore Natalia Forero, playing as an individual.
The Wildcats were looking for a fast start coming off their sluggish finish at the Stanford Intercollegiate two weeks ago. The team fired a 290 (-2) in the first round, putting them in a first place tie with eventual champion UCLA. The first 36 holes were played on Monday, and the ’Cats struggled during the second 18 holes of the day, shooting a 308 (+16) and dropping them to fourth. A score of 290 (-2) on Tuesday was enough to move the ’Cats back to third, but it was a frustrating final result for the team, considering their impressive first and third rounds.
Junior Jessica Vasilic got back on track after a tough performance in Palo Alto. Vasilic finished the tournament in a tie for fourth, shooting even par for the tournament. Vasilic shot a 71 (-2) and 72 (-1) in the first and third rounds respectively. A 76 (+3) in the second round kept her out of contention for the top spot.
Freshman Gigi Stoll continued her solid start to her first season as a Wildcat with a score of 224 (+5), good for 18th place. Junior Wanasa Zhou was right behind Stoll with a score of 225 (+6), tying her for 19th place.
Sophomore Krystal Quihuis had another solid tournament, with the exception of her second round. After a 71 (-2) to open the tournament, Quihuis shot a 79 (+6) in the second round and finished with a 75 (+2) on Tuesday.
Forero, who competed individually, finished in 45th place with a total score of 239 (+20). Freshman Danielle Lee made her first appearance of the fall. Lee started slow in her first two career rounds, shooting an 82 (+9) in the first round and an 80 (+8) in the second round. She came out rolling on Tuesday posting an impressive 71 (-2) to move her in to a tie for 39th place.
The team finished in the top-10 in all four tournaments they competed in.
The preview wrapped up the fall for the Wildcats, and they will begin preparations for their first tournament of the season in February.
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