VERONA, Wisc. — Senior
Rei Nakatani and junior
Madison Wood each won their respective matches on Tuesday afternoon, but the UC Davis women's golf team came up just shy in its match against Texas Tech, falling by a score of 3-2 to close out play at the 2019 East-West Match Play Challenge at the University Ridge Golf Course in Verona, Wisc., on Tuesday.
With rain shortening the match play portion of the tournament to only one round, the third-seeded Aggies were pitted against the fourth-seeded Red Raiders in the championship bracket thanks to their respective team finishes during Monday's stroke play.
Nakatani, who finished third during the individual stroke play portion a day earlier, jumped out to a lead on the third hole of the day and never relinquished, posting a 3&2 victory over Gala Dumez thanks to wins on the third, fifth, and 12th holes.
All square after three holes, Wood took the lead with back-to-back wins on the fourth and fifth holes, before giving one back on No. 6. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native then regained the two-hole lead on seven and added another on eight that proved to be enough as they matched one another hole-for-hole over the final eight holes of the day en route to the win.
Texas Tech received wins from Amy Taylor, who defeated senior
Yoonhee Kim 6&5, and Sofia Garcia, who posted a 3&2 victory over freshman
Jackie Lucena. The Red Raiders added the decisive point when Cecilie Nielsen posted a 2-up victory over the Aggies'
Christine Danielsson in a back-and-forth match that saw the UC Davis senior rally from one hole down to tie the match before Nielsen pulled away with wins on No. 17 and 18.
UC Davis is back in action next week, traveling to the Pacific Northwest to compete in the Molly Murphy Crowley Collegiate Invitational hosted by Oregon State. The tournament begins on Monday (Sept. 30) with 36 holes at the Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore., followed by a final 18 holes on Tuesday (Oct. 1).
The field consists of the Aggies, the host Beavers, California, Colorado, Colorado State, Georgia, Oregon, San Diego State, Santa Clara, Stanford, and Washington.
EAST-WEST MATCH PLAY CHALLENGE
University Ridge Golf Course (Verona, Wisc.)
Par 72 • 6,324 Yards
(4) Texas Tech def. (3) UC Davis, 3-2
Rei Nakatani (UCD) def. Gala Dumez (TTU), 3&2
Madison Wood (UCD) def. Anna Dong (TTU), 2&1
Sofia Garcia (TTU) def.
Jackie Lucena (UCD), 3&2
Cecilie Nielsen (TTU) def.
Christine Danielsson (UCD), 2UP
Amy Taylor (TTU) def.
Yoonhee Kim (UCD), 6&5
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 15 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.
