UCLA, Lua lead with 18 holes to play at NCAAs: Campus Insider: Golf Digest

UCLA, Lua lead with 18 holes to play at NCAAs

Saturday, May 21, 2011

BRYAN, TEXAS—The thunderstorms finally arrived overnight at The Traditions Club, producing an impressive lightning display. Under merely cloudy skies, however, the third round resumed on time Saturday morning. When the six remaining schools finished play roughly an hour later, UCLA had picked up one more shot on Purdue, finishing at 14-over 878, seven strokes ahead of the second-place Boilermakers.

The two schools will be joined by Virginia in this afternoon's final round, the Cavaliers having wrapped up their third round Friday evening, coming in at 24-over 890.

In the individual race, UCLA's TIffany Lua posted a third-round 70, making a bogey on the 15th hole (the first of four she played Saturday morning). The sophomore stands at four-under 212, two stroke ahead of Georgia's Marta Silva Zamora (third-round 72) and three strokes ahead of LSU's Austin Ernst (77), Purdue's Laura Gonzalaz-Escallon (70) and Michigan State's Caroline Powers (69). Thirteen players are within six strokes over Lua's score with 18 holes remaining.

Lua will have an idea of what number she needs to shoot in order to take the individual title as Silva Zamora and Powers will both be playing their final round during the morning wave, teeing off at 9:25 local time.