UVA Women's Golf

Despite finishing in 20th place, the UVA women’s golf team left the National Championship at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, FL this past week with smiles on their faces. Not only did the Hoos face the toughest course they have ever seen as a team, but they also participated in a format to the women’s championship that made history.

The Concession Golf Club can only be described as “a bear of a golf course”, says red-shirt Senior Lauren Coughlin. With daunting bunker complexes and unforgivingly crowned greens, players were challenged by every shot they faced. Accuracy and execution were at a premium, especially with the thought of a national title hanging so pristinely in the background. The Hoos fell prey to the treacherous course, as did many other teams, but they did manage to walk away from the tournament with some successes. Lauren Diaz-Yi scored an impressive 75 on her final day of competition while Elizabeth Szokol finished up the championship in 51st place as an individual with steady rounds of 76-77-78. Ranked 10th in the nation going into the tournament, the Hoos proved they are fit to contend on a national stage.

Although their efforts fell just short, the Cavaliers are proud to have been a part of a momentous format change in women’s collegiate golf. Replacing a 72-hole stroke play format, the new 54-hole stroke play followed by match play amongst the top 15 teams is ground breaking to say the very least. The extended setup of the championship adequately honors the countless hours collegiate golfers dedicate to their games every year while allowing them some room for inevitable error. The enhanced championship also spurred considerable press and television coverage for the women. For the first time since 1997, Golf Channel broadcasted the Women’s National Championship, and will continue to stay in Bradenton to cover the Men’s Championship at the same venue. All in all, Golf Channel will devote over 100 hours of coverage to the NCAA Championships. As far as women’s golf goes, this recognition is unparalleled.

Amidst a sea of Jack Rogers sandals and floral dresses, Briana Mao laces up her Doc Marten boots and throws a black leather jacket over her shoulders as she heads to her favorite Thai spot for dinner with fellow teammate Kaira Martin.

Briana, a Sacramento native, has never been one to conform to popular trends. Whether it’s in her social life or in her golf game, she consistently writes her own destiny.

Briana made the big move to the east coast back in 2011 in order to attend the University of Virginia. Although it was hard for her to leave both her family and the California state of mind behind, Briana’s dream to become a professional golfer and the opportunity to play golf at UVA while receiving a full scholarship were simply too enticing to turn down.

Her choice to come east has certainly paid off. Briana is not only a leader by example on and off the course, but she has also won two collegiate tournaments including the 2013 UCF Challenge and the 2015 Bryan National Collegiate. She tied for 1st place in regulation play this past weekend at the 2015 ACC Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, but unfortunately lost in a two-hole playoff.

Although her final year as a collegiate golfer is rapidly winding down, Briana wants nothing more than to finish the post-season on a positive note.

“I’m really excited for post-season play- it’s always fun playing against top ranked teams. Also, since it is my senior year, I’m just trying to have fun and enjoy my last few college tournaments with my team.”

Briana will head into post-season play alongside four strong teammates: Elizabeth Szokol, Lauren Diaz-Yi, Lauren Coughlin and Lyberty Anderson. The Hoos have had three first place finishes as a team this year, including the 2015 ACC Championship, and will hold nothing back as they head into Regionals and, hopefully, Nationals at the end of May.

“I believed that we had a strong chance to win ACCs this year, and we did, killing the field by 26 strokes! I think we have a strong chance to make it to nationals and finishing top 4. This is a great team and when we’re all playing well, like we did at ACCs, we can really go low.”

Regardless of the outcome of upcoming collegiate events, Briana will unquestionably pursue a future as a professional golfer. She will spend much time this summer in Palm Desert in preparation for the taxing temperatures she will face at the first stage of LPGA Q School in Rancho Mirage, California from August 3-9. After that, she will tentatively make a home for herself in Florida alongside former teammate Brittany Altomare. The two will play and practice together as they prepare for the second and third stages of Q School. She will travel back to California from time to time to visit her coach Bryan Lebedevitch who teaches out of PGA West in La Quinta.

With friends, family, coaches, and support spread nationwide, Briana has the right network of resources to succeed as a professional, but she also has the golf game. Briana’s ball striking can only be described as powerful and her short game and putting are strong to say the very least. Briana’s game would surely intimidate the likes of any golfer in a head-to-head match. All that’s left for her in taking her golf to the next level is to harness her mental game.

“I think I have the skills to succeed as a pro golfer but where there’s a difference is in the mental game. If anything is going to hold me back it will be my mental game which is why I’ve been working so hard on it this past semester with my coaches here at UVA. I often get in my own way and lose confidence, but I’ve been working hard on it and seeing some progress, which has given me more confidence that I can do this and be able to do well as a pro golfer.”

While there is no doubt Briana will succeed in all her future aspirations, she has certainly established a home for herself here in Charlottesville to which she can always return. The impression she has left on coaches, teammates, and professors alike is one of pure admiration. Briana settles for nothing less than her best on the course and in the classroom, and is always willing to put in the hours necessary to achieve the desired result.

Did You Know? 

• Briana has a two year old Husky named Bella back home in California 
• Briana’s guilty pleasure is French fries and ice cream. She remembers back to her days of junior soccer when she religiously consumed large fries from McDonalds before every game. 
• Briana is notoriously klutzy! Three days before NCAA’s last year, she tripped down a flight of stairs and sprained her ankle 
• During the first round of the SunTrust Gator Invitational in March 2013, Briana had horrific food poisoning from something she had eaten at breakfast. Despite vomiting on each of the first 14 holes, Briana managed to finish the round 
• She is a beast in the weight room. Briana max deadlifts 91 kilograms- that's 200 pounds! 
• Briana’s Taiwanese name is Pei Fung. Coach Kim thought it sounded like ‘pay phone’ and now calls her bring-bring like the ring of a phone at every opportunity