Women’s golf in NCAA Championship mix with U.S. Women’s Amateur winner

An already strong team of returnees is going to be assisted by the U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion – from Colombia – as UCLA’s women’s golf team shoots for a potential NCAA Championship starting on September 14.

The Bruins finished third in the nation a year ago, despite losing two All-Americans who were scheduled to return in Jane Park and Amie Cochran. Four of the five who played in the NCAAs are back, including junior Tiffany Joh, who finished fifth in the nationals.

Now the squad will be bolstered by just-crowned U.S. Women’s Amateur champ Maria Jose Uribe (pictured), who will be a freshman this season, as well as American Junior Golf Association All-American Glory Yang from Murrieta.

They’re projected as a top-tier team with a real shot at bringing another NCAA trophy to the Morgan Center. The season will begin with the Mason Rudolph Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, but gets going in earnest in February with the Pac-10 Championships in Palos Verdes in April and the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico in late May.

[Photo credit: Scott A. Miller of Golfweek]