The Arizona women's golf team headed into the first tournament of the spring hoping to continue its fall success, but balky putters and a tough course put the Wildcats in fourth place after the final day.
"It felt like we were in the ring with (Mike) Tyson, and we weren't able to use our hands," head coach Greg Allen said after the final putt had dropped.
The girls shot the worst final round of any team that finished in the top-10, ending the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge with a combined 29-over par, 313.
"We just didn't play well," Allen said. "The golf course got the best of us."
The Wildcats entered the Palos Verdes, Calif., tournament ranked third in the nation.
The squad's star sophomore, Erica Blasberg, finished out of the top 10 for the first time since her debut on the collegiate circuit a year and a half ago.
The Corona, Calif., native shot 73-73-78, never breaking par and shooting the worst round since her second-round 80 at the Fall Preview in 2002.
The tie for 11th place snapped Blasberg's run of 14 top-10 finishes and is the first time the Wildcats haven't had a golfer in the top 10 since 2002.
"We never could figure out the greens," Allen said. "I felt like we didn't hit the ball that bad, but never got anything going."
UCLA, ranked second in the nation, won the tournament by 32 shots and Bruin Charlotte Mayjorkas won medallist honors, finishing 6-under-par.
Mayjorkas was the only player in the field to finish under par.
The Wildcats struggled all three days, according to Allen.
"Weather conditions were perfect (all week)," Allen said. "It's just a tough golf course."
Sophomore Cassandra Kirkland was the only other Wildcat to finish in the top 20. She tied for 13th, shooting a 74 in her final round, her best score of the tournament.
The Wildcats will be teeing it up in a week and a half as hosts of the Wildcat Invitational.
"We get a chance to redeem ourselves at our home tournament in a week and a half and hopefully have a little home course advantage, because UCLA certainly had it here," Allen said.