The No. 23-ranked Arizona women's golf team didn't have an ideal finish in its last tournament, but head coach Giovana Maymon doesn't like to dwell on the what-ifs this early in the season — just positives.
In the Westbrook Invitational at Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Arizona, UA had the lead entering the final day, but Missouri edged the Wildcats by two shots to win the event.
The Wildcats had an eight-shot advantage over third-place Kansas State.
UA senior Nena Wongthanavimok carded her best round as a Wildcat and shot 11 under, which put her tied for fourth at the Westbrook Invitational.
Arizona freshman Sara Vitasek, a Naples, Florida, native, shot a 64 (8 under) on the first day of the tournament, which tied the lowest round for any player in program history.
"A lot of positives," Maymon said. "Still early in the season. We're just building on for the next three events that we have, which are good events. ... Very excited for what's coming."
Arizona golfer Julia Misemer parlayed her second place individual finish at the NCAA Tournament's Raleigh Regional into an 11th place finish at the Southwestern Amateur in Scottsdale before winning medalist honors at the U.S. Women's Open qualifier, also in Scottsdale, on May 30.
The Wildcats are set to play in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a two-day event that tees off on Monday. Broadcast coverage for the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate can be found on NBC Golf.
Maymon recently joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to look back on Arizona's latest tournament and preview the Wildcats' upcoming road trip. Here's what she said:
What is Vitasek's story of becoming a Wildcat, and how has she progressed in her first season with the program?
A: "She was a late recruit when I got in. She was my first recruit that I got here to Arizona. She visited three days after I got the job. She was a kid I had already seen for a while. I really like her. Late bloomer, but a lot of potential. She's our longest hitter and has a lot of maturity. This last round, her putting was a lot better. I'm excited for her. She's a better kid than a player, which is exciting. I'm happy to have her in the lineup and see what she does this year for us."
When you're recruiting golfers, what traits are you looking for?
A: "Great question. You need to see the golf part; they need to play and have the talent. Also, attitude is very important, especially when it's not going their way; how they perform, how they behave, their body language. When you're recruiting, that's how they're going to fight those hard moments. Hitting it long and driving is important in college golf, because it saves you a lot of shots. Kinsley (Ni) is our best putter by far. She played a lot better this tournament than our home tournament, so it gave her confidence going into these next events. We have two seniors, two freshmen and a junior in the lineup, so I think we have a good combination."
What's your assessment of Wongthanavimok's latest performance?
A: "She was great. We looked at her stats yesterday and she made every single putt 16 feet and in. That's amazing. She was a little bit upset that she couldn't get the win, but so many good things for her in this event. We're trying to get her to be a good leader on the team and push her more than anything. She's a great kid to have around and I was happy for her to have a good tournament, especially with the next two events that we have."
The Arizona women's golf team, led by head coach Giovana Maymon (far right) and assistant coach Brady Campbell (second from right) won the season-opening Fields of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes Golf Couse in Grand Haven, Michigan, on Sept. 11, 2024. Wildcat athletes pictured include (from left) Charlotte Back, Carolina Melgrati, Nena Wongthanavimok, Maria Cabanillas and Lilas Pinthier.
What are your early impressions of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate?
A: "Great event. There's 17 teams and about 12 of them are ranked in the Top 25. It's almost like a national field. It's great. We're super excited. We perform really well when things are hard, and this is one of the toughest courses in college golf. It's a great opportunity and that's how we're taking it. It's a great opportunity to go out and kill it this week and have a great time. It's great for the girls to play against the top field and see where it takes us."
Have you ever golfed in South Carolina before?
A: "It's good. It's way more grainy than Tucson. The weather will be OK. We're excited for 60s and 70s, which hasn't been the same as Arizona. It's good, it just gets more grainy and there's way more trees than we're used to. You can hit it from the trees, but you can't hit it out of the desert. A lot of these kids have played around the country, but it's good to get to the other side and get used to that. You never know where you're going to be sent for the (NCAA) Regionals, so it's good to expose them. Especially for professionals, they're going to be traveling all around the country, so it's good to expose them to that."
