SAN JOSE -- The BYU women's golf team, plagued by strong winds and intermittent rain at the Bay Area Classic, secured a 10th place finish Tuesday as the wild tournament came to a merciful close.

"The kids played with heart and I'm so proud that they finished under these conditions," BYU head coach Sue Nyhus said.

The Cougars (331-348--679) finished four strokes behind Santa Clara University (329-346--675). Washington, currently ranked ninth in the nation, came away with top honors (312-317--629).

Individually, junior Margaret Gibby led the Cougars, shooting a near-miraculous 77 on Monday and an 88 on Tuesday. Gibby finished in the top 20 for the tournament.

The rest of the team scored in the 80's in each round, numbers that escalate statistical averages.

Fierce winds throughout the two-day event turned the Boulder Ridge into more of an obstacle course than a golf course as windshields blew off golf carts and debris circled the golfers.

"I've never seen it that bad," assistant coach Dave DeSantis said.

Nyhus said it was difficult to even keep the ball on the green.

"The wind was so bad balls kept rolling all over," she said.

The Cougars have a two-week reprieve before they head to College Station, Texas for the Texas A&M "Mo"morial March 1-2.

FINAL RESULTS         2004 Bay Area Classic
* Individual          Boulder Ridge Golf Clubyy

PROVO -- The BYU women's golf team heads to sunny California to compete in the Bay Area Classic on Feb. 16-17, the team's first action of the spring season.

BYU will play against a competitive field of 14 teams during the two-day tournament, hosted by the University of San Francisco. The Cougars finished 12th in their last outing in November, the Las Vegas Founders Showdown.

"We're looking to put together a great spring season," BYU head coach Sue Nyhus said. "The girls have prepared themselves and I think they will do well."

BYU had some solid outings in the fall season, finishing third at the Lady Aztec Invitational in October and fifth in the Dick McGuire last September.

The Cougars are expected to compete with their trio of Newren sisters, Nicole, Natalie, and Rachel, Margaret Gibby, and Alexis Edwards. Gibby, a junior, leads BYU with a 76.7 average and had a third-place finish at the Lady Aztec. Gibby is followed closely by freshman Edwards with 77.2.

The team will be playing at the Boulder Ridge Golf Course in San Jose, Calif. The course is a par 72 and measures 6,090 yards. BYU will play 18 holes both days of the tournament.

The Bay Area Classic will draw the following schools: Arkansas, Arkansas Little Rock, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Indiana, Missouri, Louisville, Northwestern, SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, UTEP.

BYU is currently ranked 54th in the nation by golfweek.com.