Golf:

Though this UCI women’s golf team is a little more talented than the one Coach Julie Brooks brought to the NCAA Finals in 2007, the coach has much higher expectations for this year’s squad at the NCAA Finals.

This will be the program’s third appearance in the last five years at the NCAA Championship. The 2005 team finished 18th and the 2007 squad placed 19th

UC Irvine also won three tournament titles this year. In the spring, UCI won the Fresno State Lexus Classic at the Copper River Country Club with a three-round team score of 891. In the fall, the Anteaters finished first at the Price’s “Give’Em Five” Invitational (881) and Coast BMW Invitational (909). It is the first time in program history that the Anteaters have won three tournaments in a single season.

But Brooks, who coached the 2007 team, believes this squad has a chance of finishing better than either one of the previous teams.

Brooks came into the final, which began Tuesday and concludes Friday, with the goal of finishing in the top 10.

That is pretty lofty, especially when the Anteaters are ranked No. 10 by Golftstat.com, 29th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. Nine of the top 10 teams are in the field as are 16 of the top 20.

If the team is going to fulfill Brook’s goal the Anteaters are going to have to rally in the last two rounds. They are currently in last place out of 24 teams after two rounds. Every member on the team has struggled on the difficult Caves Valley Golf Club, even star player Jane Chin.

Chin entered the event No. 1 in the country in par-three scoring, averaging 2.87, but has had two over-par rounds.

Chin has been the team’s best player all year. The lone senior of the five-woman group. Chin was named Big West Player of the Year and was in consideration for national player of the year.

Chin is certainly deserving of the conference award. She finished third at the NCAA West Regional, leading the team to a fourth-place finish and an automatic berth into the NCAA Finals.

The other four players have also contributed to the team’s successful tournament. Junior Patty Chawalitmetha placed 35th with a score of 222 (78-70-74), while freshmen Lalita Patipaksiri (74-73-76) and Joy Trotter (73-74-78) tied for 43rd at 223. Sophomore Hillary Packard was 85th at 234 (75-78-81). Chawalitmetha, Packard and Trotter were named to the All-Big West second team.

“I was very confident of our team advancing,” Coach Julie Brooks said. “Jane was familiar with the course and had played here before. The others played really well and even though we slipped a little the final day we had a cushion.”

It is quite an opposite in the finals. The Caves Valley Golf Club, Owing Mills, Md. is a completely new experience for the team. Not only had no one played it, but they hadn’t even heard of it.

“We had a couple of people who knew about it and gave us some tips before we left,” Brooks said. “It is 6,400 yards and it is playing all of that yardage. There are some long par fours and the par threes are going to be tough.”

The tree-lined course has had the benefit of recent rains and Brooks said the course is playing much like a U.S. Open. The rough is high, the fairways narrow and the greens fast.

“I don’t expect to see a lot of low scores,” Brooks said.

So far there haven’t been. In 252 rounds there have been six under par and only two of those in the 60s.

‘Eater fans can see the last three holes on the Internet. Live streaming video of the final two rounds of the golf championships will also be available online at www.ncaa.com. Holes 16, 17 and 18 will be streamed today and Friday.

JOHN REGER’S golf column appears Thursdays. He may be reached by e-mail at nolimepublishing@aol.com or by regular mail at P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 907040.