Golfweek

Southern California won the inaugural Bruin Wave Invitational Wednesday for its third victory of the season and second of the spring at a chilly and overcast Robinson Ranch G.C. in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The Trojans, currently No. 9 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, shot a final-round 286 for a 2-over 866 total to hold on for a two-shot victory over defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Arizona State (286), which two weeks ago won the Wildcat Invitational. Second-ranked UCLA (296) finished third, six shots back.

USC also won the Mason Rudolph Championship in September and the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in early February.

On the individual side, Pepperdine freshman Danielle Kang didn’t wait long to win her first title – pretty convincingly.

Kang, who just joined the team this semester after graduating high school early, birdied her final two holes and closed with a 3-under 69 to beat New Mexico senior Jodi Ewart by three shots.

Kang, medalist at the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur, also made seven birdies in her opening 5-under 67. She finished with an 8-under 208 total. This was only Kang's second college event. In her first start at the Wildcat Invitational, she shot rounds of 75-74 to finish tied for 17th.

Ewart’s final-round 68 was the low round of the day, but not enough to comabt her second-round 74. She finished at 5-under 211, one better than Stephanie Kono of UCLA.

Junior Lizette Salas, one of three Trojans in the top 10, led USC with a tie for fourth after steady rounds of 72-71-71. Senior Belen Mozo (68-76-72) tied for seventh and sophomore Jennifer Song (73-72-72) tied for 10th.