TUCSON, AZ (March 6, 2018) - There is a new leader among tournament victories at UCLA and her name is Lilia Vu, as the junior claimed her fourth win in a row and eighth of her career at the Wildcat Invitational. As a team, the Bruins won by nine strokes to post their fifth win of the season.
The top-ranked Bruins shot a 3-under 285 on Tuesday at the Sewailo Golf Club to finish at 17-under 847, nine shots better than Arizona. UCLA's fifth win of 2017-2018 matches the victory total set in 2015-2016.
Vu not only broke her tie with Bronte Law for most tournament victories at UCLA, she did it in record-setting fashion with a 54-hole total of 14-under 202. The score is one better than the previous 54-hole tournament record at UCLA, which was held by Sydnee Michaels (-13, 203) and accomplished at the 2008 NCAA Regional. On Tuesday, Vu had her second hole-out of the tournament with an eagle on the 12th, adding four birdies on #2, #5, #8 and #11 to go with three bogeys for a final-round, 3-under 69.
Sophomore Mariel Galdiano recorded the third second-place finish of her career (first of the season) and made history with Vu, as her 11-under 205 score marked just the third time in school history that a pair of Bruins have finished double figures under par in the same tournament. The combined 25-under for Vu and Galdiano tops the list. Michaels and Tiffany Joh (-10) were each double figures under at the 2008 NCAA Regional, while Law and Alison Lee were both 10-under at the 2014 Cougar Classic. Galdiano shot a 5-under 67 in her final round, making six birdies on #5, #8, #10, #11, #15 and #17 with just one bogey.
Next up for the Bruins is a trip to Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. and The Farms Golf Club for a match play tournament, the SDSU March Mayhem (March 26-28).