Women of Troy fall victim to poor play, conditions


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The No. 5 USC women’s golf team struggled through two days of wind, rain and 40-degree temperatures on its way to a 12th place finish at the Wildcat Invitational at the Arizona National Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz.

The Women of Troy finished at 50-over-par 618 (308-310), 42 strokes behind No. 3 Arizona State. The finish is their second worst of the year, after the 16th place finish at the UNCW Fall Preview in October.

For that tournament, the Women of Troy were missing No. 1 golfer sophomore Jennifer Song and lost senior Belen Mozo in the final round to injury. This week, the team had its lineup at full strength but struggled in conditions so poor the tournament was forced to cancel the second round of play.

The break in action and the poor conditions wreaked havoc on scores across the board, as Arizona State’s winning combined score was an 8-over-par 576. Second place and host team Arizona recorded two rounds of 10-over-par to finish 12 strokes back of the Sun Devils at its own event.

Not even the No. 2 team in the nation, the Auburn Tigers, could handle the conditions, finishing a combined 37-over-par.

Mozo finished as the team’s low scorer for the week at eight-over-par 150 (77-73). Mozo, seeking her team-record fourth All-American award this year, balanced her four bogeys with two birdies to have the lowest round of the tournament for any of the Women of Troy. Mozo finished tied for 22nd, 16 places up from her finish in the first round.

Song had her worst finish of the season with a tie for 40th at 12-over-par 154 (74-80). Her final round, which was marred by three double bogeys, is the first time Song has not scored below 80 in her USC career.

Junior Lizette Salas, seeking a third All-American award this season, finished tied for 53rd at 15-over-par 157 (79-78). Two birdies in the final round were not enough to overcome five bogeys and two double bogeys. Salas shot three over par on the last three holes in the final round.

Senior Caroline Kim (79-79) and sophomore Inah Park (78-80) tied for 57th at 16-over-par 158. Kim finished her final round with three double bogeys, three bogeys and a birdie, while Park had two double bogeys, five bogeys and a birdie.  Freshman Cyna Rodriguez entered as an individual and tied for 86th at 25-over-par 167 (84-83).

The Women of Troy have six days to regroup before competing at the Bruin-Wave Invitational at the Robinson Ranch Golf Club in Canyon Country, Calif., from March 1-3.