Women’s golf comes out swinging to start 2021 season

Chapman’s women’s golf team finds early success and looks ahead with confidence after securing a national rank. MAYA BRAUNWARTH, Staff Photographer

Chapman’s women’s golf team is breaking records left and right, having recently earned themselves the 19th spot in the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Division III national rankings. 

The women’s scoring average at the California State Intercollegiate Tournament on Sept. 13-14 was crucial in securing a spot in the rankings, as the field featured many top DIII competitors. Nevertheless, they were able to place fourth overall. 

The team was not ranked prior to the tournament — nor were they expected to be — yet they broke a school record for a single round by 14 strokes with a total score of 290. 

“To play decently in a good field goes a huge way towards our ranking,” said Ming Lao, Chapman’s women’s golf coach. “How you compete against the teams that are known to be good and ranked higher give you a boost in your own ranking.”

They competed against 10 other DIII schools at the tournament, six of which were Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opponents. Pomona-Pitzer and Redlands were the only two SCIAC teams to beat them. 

“The beginning of the season either kicks you off the right way or makes you have to catch up the rest of the season,” said Lao, who reiterated the team has exceeded all expectations. 

However, Lao and his team got plenty of tee time last spring despite COVID-19 restrictions, and he said there is no doubt this placed them at an advantage going into the fall.

“It’s a game of a lot of repetition and situational pressure, so everytime we get to compete against other schools at different venues, it makes us better,” Lao said. 

Lao also attributed much of the team’s recent success to their small freshmen class, who he described as possessing a “special” talent for the sport. 

Freshman business administration major Rachel Truong showcased this special talent at the tournament, shooting a 149 on the weekend.

“Coach Lao has really helped me with my swing and confidence on the golf course, so I felt pretty prepared for the tournament,” Truong said. 

Truong told The Panther she was fully satisfied with the results of her and her teammates at their first showing. One of Truong’s fellow freshman teammates — Emily Cho — also performed well, shooting a 151 overall.

“These girls can play,” said sophomore business administration major Kaila Higgins of her first-year teammates.

So can Higgins apparently; she just broke the individual single round record for the program, finishing under 70 strokes in a round with a score of 148 overall. 

“I'm happy that it's going in the right direction and that I started off the season pretty strong,” Higgins said. “I just want to do my thing and keep working hard, and I think the results will just come.”

Alongside Higgins’ individual success is a revitalized sense of confidence among her teammates. 

“As for the team, I am so stoked for the season,” Higgins said. “We have some really solid players and I’m excited to see what they’re going to do this season.”

After a series of successes, the Panthers fell 298-325 to the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas Sept. 25 but will look to bounce back Oct. 2-3 at a SCIAC Quad Match.