[GK3]

What's happening with/to Englemann? She seems to be in a slump lately.

She slumped at the ASU tournament and had an even rougher tournament at Augusta. But it seemed that maybe she was recovering her form at P12s where she finished 11th after back-to-back 69s. But whatever the problem, she is still fighting it. She has about a week to work things out.

I said above that the NCAAs are 2 weeks out. They actually start NEXT Friday, May 17. Practice round on Thursday, May 16. So not much time to rest from regionals and recharge for the most exhausting 6 days in women's college sports - 4 rounds of stroke play followed by a double round of match play (quarterfinals and semifinals), before wrapping up with the finals. Stanford, especially Rose Zhang, hit the wall in the semis last year vs. USC. I think that Coach Walker is taking an approach this year to help the team be fresher going into the NCAAs.

How do you see this team stacking up with the last few years?  If Rachel is all the way back, and NO is not an answer to that question :) we seem to really have 5 solid players this year.  What we do next year is anyone's guess.  Making the travel team will be very hard.
The fact that Stanford has made the match play session every year since it started is a very impressive statement as to the teams their coach puts together.  I read elsewhere that Stanford Women's Tennis has been the goal of almost all to girls coming out of high school.  Now the same seems to be applying to the golf team, with a very strong international flavor.  My guess Stanford may carry a stronger rep internationally than at home.

[GK3]

What's happening with/to Englemann? She seems to be in a slump lately.

She slumped at the ASU tournament and had an even rougher tournament at Augusta. But it seemed that maybe she was recovering her form at P12s where she finished 11th after back-to-back 69s. But whatever the problem, she is still fighting it. She has about a week to work things out.

I said above that the NCAAs are 2 weeks out. They actually start NEXT Friday, May 17. Practice round on Thursday, May 16. So not much time to rest from regionals and recharge for the most exhausting 6 days in women's college sports - 4 rounds of stroke play followed by a double round of match play (quarterfinals and semifinals), before wrapping up with the finals. Stanford, especially Rose Zhang, hit the wall in the semis last year vs. USC. I think that Coach Walker is taking an approach this year to help the team be fresher going into the NCAAs.

How do you see this team stacking up with the last few years?  If Rachel is all the way back, and NO is not an answer to that question :) we seem to really have 5 solid players this year.  What we do next year is anyone's guess.  Making the travel team will be very hard.
The fact that Stanford has made the match play session every year since it started is a very impressive statement as to the teams their coach puts together.  I read elsewhere that Stanford Women's Tennis has been the goal of almost all to girls coming out of high school.  Now the same seems to be applying to the golf team, with a very strong international flavor.  My guess Stanford may carry a stronger rep internationally than at home.

[bbm233]

How do you see this team stacking up with the last few years?  If Rachel is all the way back, and NO is not an answer to that question :) we seem to really have 5 solid players this year.  What we do next year is anyone's guess.  Making the travel team will be very hard.
The fact that Stanford has made the match play session every year since it started is a very impressive statement as to the teams their coach puts together.  I read elsewhere that Stanford Women's Tennis has been the goal of almost all to girls coming out of high school.  Now the same seems to be applying to the golf team, with a very strong international flavor.  My guess Stanford may carry a stronger rep internationally than at home.

Unlike the last three years, we don't have the favorite to win the individual stroke play crown (guessing Lindblad from LSU or Woad from FSU). I think it is too much to consider Heck to be in the mix (but wouldn't it be a great story?). After all, she has hardly played and kind of came out of nowhere to win the regionals; from the #5 line no less. But I do think we have the best depth in the field and I'd be really shocked if we didn't finish in the top 3 of the team stroke play. The top 8 teams then move on to match play, and that's just a crap shoot. I do think this team stacks up well with any of our teams - there really is no weak link.

[bbm233]

How do you see this team stacking up with the last few years?  If Rachel is all the way back, and NO is not an answer to that question :) we seem to really have 5 solid players this year.  What we do next year is anyone's guess.  Making the travel team will be very hard.
The fact that Stanford has made the match play session every year since it started is a very impressive statement as to the teams their coach puts together.  I read elsewhere that Stanford Women's Tennis has been the goal of almost all to girls coming out of high school.  Now the same seems to be applying to the golf team, with a very strong international flavor.  My guess Stanford may carry a stronger rep internationally than at home.

Unlike the last three years, we don't have the favorite to win the individual stroke play crown (guessing Lindblad from LSU or Woad from FSU). I think it is too much to consider Heck to be in the mix (but wouldn't it be a great story?). After all, she has hardly played and kind of came out of nowhere to win the regionals; from the #5 line no less. But I do think we have the best depth in the field and I'd be really shocked if we didn't finish in the top 3 of the team stroke play. The top 8 teams then move on to match play, and that's just a crap shoot. I do think this team stacks up well with any of our teams - there really is no weak link.

[Spiny_Norman]

How do you see this team stacking up with the last few years?  If Rachel is all the way back, and NO is not an answer to that question :) we seem to really have 5 solid players this year.  What we do next year is anyone's guess.  Making the travel team will be very hard.
The fact that Stanford has made the match play session every year since it started is a very impressive statement as to the teams their coach puts together.  I read elsewhere that Stanford Women's Tennis has been the goal of almost all to girls coming out of high school.  Now the same seems to be applying to the golf team, with a very strong international flavor.  My guess Stanford may carry a stronger rep internationally than at home.

Unlike the last three years, we don't have the favorite to win the individual stroke play crown (guessing Lindblad from LSU or Woad from FSU). I think it is too much to consider Heck to be in the mix (but wouldn't it be a great story?). After all, she has hardly played and kind of came out of nowhere to win the regionals; from the #5 line no less. But I do think we have the best depth in the field and I'd be really shocked if we didn't finish in the top 3 of the team stroke play. The top 8 teams then move on to match play, and that's just a crap shoot. I do think this team stacks up well with any of our teams - there really is no weak link.

Stanford absolutely has the players to finish in the top 8 and advance to match play. It's pretty much what you expect from the #1 team in the country playing for a coach who has proven year after year that she is able to get her team to rise to the challenge of a national championship tournament.

But there are other strong teams in the field. Personally I think the favorite is Wake Forest, defending national champion. USC was the runner up. They brought back 4 of the players from that team (which knocked out Stanford) and added one of the best freshman in the country, Bailey Shoemaker. They will be formidable. Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Florida State all have rosters loaded with top players.

There are of course concerns because we as fans need something to fret about. Englemann has struggled with her game lately. I don't know if it is physical, mechanical, mental. All of the above? She has some things to work on.

Martin Sampedro has been the latest Stanford freshman star. She has finished in the top 10 in 8 of 9 tournaments which is remarkable! But she has not been a strong finisher. She has yet to break 70 in a final round. All of the highest scores in her Stanford career have come in tournament final rounds.

I also think that the match play toughness of this year's team is yet to be proven. Players like Shannon Aubert, Casey Danielson, Mariah Stackhouse, Brooke Seay were at their best in match play. Seay is going to end her Stanford career undefeated in NCAA match play (4-0). The team really could have used her experience.

Here is the NCAA match play record of the Stanford lineup:
Heck 2 wins, 2 losses
Englemann 1 win, 4 losses
Xu 2 wins, 0 losses
Ganne 0 wins, 2 losses
Martin Sampedro no experience yet

I think the success of the team will be determined by the seniors Heck and Englemann. When Stanford won in 2015, the anchors were 2 seniors, Stackhouse and Lauren Kim. When Stanford won in 2022, the anchors were junior Seay and senior Aline Krauter, both of whom were 3-0 in match play. When the men won in 2019, they were led by seniors Isaiah Salinda and Brandon Wu both of whom were 3-0 in match play.

The big unknown is the golf course. No one has seen it before. No one has putted on the greens. How fast will they be? How rough will the rough be? Where is the trouble? Where are the birdie opportunities? Where do you need to play it safe? No one school has the advantage of prior experience.

The finalists in the first year at Grayhawk in 2021 were Mississippi and Oklahoma State, neither of whom are traditional powers. As teams got more familiar with the course in 2022 and 2023 we saw the usual suspects rise to the top, Stanford and Wake Forest. We'll see what happens in year 1 at La Costa.

[Spiny_Norman]

How do you see this team stacking up with the last few years?  If Rachel is all the way back, and NO is not an answer to that question :) we seem to really have 5 solid players this year.  What we do next year is anyone's guess.  Making the travel team will be very hard.
The fact that Stanford has made the match play session every year since it started is a very impressive statement as to the teams their coach puts together.  I read elsewhere that Stanford Women's Tennis has been the goal of almost all to girls coming out of high school.  Now the same seems to be applying to the golf team, with a very strong international flavor.  My guess Stanford may carry a stronger rep internationally than at home.

Unlike the last three years, we don't have the favorite to win the individual stroke play crown (guessing Lindblad from LSU or Woad from FSU). I think it is too much to consider Heck to be in the mix (but wouldn't it be a great story?). After all, she has hardly played and kind of came out of nowhere to win the regionals; from the #5 line no less. But I do think we have the best depth in the field and I'd be really shocked if we didn't finish in the top 3 of the team stroke play. The top 8 teams then move on to match play, and that's just a crap shoot. I do think this team stacks up well with any of our teams - there really is no weak link.

Stanford absolutely has the players to finish in the top 8 and advance to match play. It's pretty much what you expect from the #1 team in the country playing for a coach who has proven year after year that she is able to get her team to rise to the challenge of a national championship tournament.

But there are other strong teams in the field. Personally I think the favorite is Wake Forest, defending national champion. USC was the runner up. They brought back 4 of the players from that team (which knocked out Stanford) and added one of the best freshman in the country, Bailey Shoemaker. They will be formidable. Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Florida State all have rosters loaded with top players.

There are of course concerns because we as fans need something to fret about. Englemann has struggled with her game lately. I don't know if it is physical, mechanical, mental. All of the above? She has some things to work on.

Martin Sampedro has been the latest Stanford freshman star. She has finished in the top 10 in 8 of 9 tournaments which is remarkable! But she has not been a strong finisher. She has yet to break 70 in a final round. All of the highest scores in her Stanford career have come in tournament final rounds.

I also think that the match play toughness of this year's team is yet to be proven. Players like Shannon Aubert, Casey Danielson, Mariah Stackhouse, Brooke Seay were at their best in match play. Seay is going to end her Stanford career undefeated in NCAA match play (4-0). The team really could have used her experience.

Here is the NCAA match play record of the Stanford lineup:
Heck 2 wins, 2 losses
Englemann 1 win, 4 losses
Xu 2 wins, 0 losses
Ganne 0 wins, 2 losses
Martin Sampedro no experience yet

I think the success of the team will be determined by the seniors Heck and Englemann. When Stanford won in 2015, the anchors were 2 seniors, Stackhouse and Lauren Kim. When Stanford won in 2022, the anchors were junior Seay and senior Aline Krauter, both of whom were 3-0 in match play. When the men won in 2019, they were led by seniors Isaiah Salinda and Brandon Wu both of whom were 3-0 in match play.

The big unknown is the golf course. No one has seen it before. No one has putted on the greens. How fast will they be? How rough will the rough be? Where is the trouble? Where are the birdie opportunities? Where do you need to play it safe? No one school has the advantage of prior experience.

The finalists in the first year at Grayhawk in 2021 were Mississippi and Oklahoma State, neither of whom are traditional powers. As teams got more familiar with the course in 2022 and 2023 we saw the usual suspects rise to the top, Stanford and Wake Forest. We'll see what happens in year 1 at La Costa.

[Hulk01]

I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree: you cannot make Wake Forest the favorite.  In the team rankings, the gap between them (86-38) this season and Stanford (88-10) is as great as the gap between Wake and the number 16 team.  

I do think Wake is the clear #2, with Texas, USC, UCLA and South Carolina strong but trailing.

Engleman hasn't been in peak form, but every team has at least one player of whom that's true.  (Wake's number four ranks 141 in the country; Stanford's number five, Engleman, ranks 44th)

World Individual Rankings:
Wake 9, 45, 99, 141, 169.
Stanford 23, 44, 46, 72, and 80

Stanford beat an elite group in the Pac 12's by six strokes, and its regional by an absurd 18.  Wake finished third in its regional.

We deserve to be the favorites-- conceding, however, that picking a favorite for five-player, 18 hole match play is a bet no one should make.

[Hulk01]

I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree: you cannot make Wake Forest the favorite.  In the team rankings, the gap between them (86-38) this season and Stanford (88-10) is as great as the gap between Wake and the number 16 team.  

I do think Wake is the clear #2, with Texas, USC, UCLA and South Carolina strong but trailing.

Engleman hasn't been in peak form, but every team has at least one player of whom that's true.  (Wake's number four ranks 141 in the country; Stanford's number five, Engleman, ranks 44th)

World Individual Rankings:
Wake 9, 45, 99, 141, 169.
Stanford 23, 44, 46, 72, and 80

Stanford beat an elite group in the Pac 12's by six strokes, and its regional by an absurd 18.  Wake finished third in its regional.

We deserve to be the favorites-- conceding, however, that picking a favorite for five-player, 18 hole match play is a bet no one should make.

[Spiny_Norman]

I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree: you cannot make Wake Forest the favorite.  In the team rankings, the gap between them (86-38) this season and Stanford (88-10) is as great as the gap between Wake and the number 16 team.  

I do think Wake is the clear #2, with Texas, USC, UCLA and South Carolina strong but trailing.

Engleman hasn't been in peak form, but every team has at least one player of whom that's true.  (Wake's number four ranks 142d in the country; Stanford's number five, Engleman, ranks 55th)

Stanford beat an elite group in the Pac 12's by six strokes, and its regional by an absurd 18.  We deserve to be the favorites, conceding that picking a favorite for five player, 18 hole match play is a bet no one should make.

Because of an injury to Carolina Chacarra, Wake had a rough patch in early spring. They even played one tournament with only 4 players. Chacarra is back and Wake seems to be rounding into form.

But I will agree that Stanford should be the favorite to win the stroke play portion of the competition. After that, it becomes a crap shoot. I fall back onto the team that won last year. Wake returns 3 players from last year's NC team and only 1 of those players lost a match. Wake also played 8(!) match play events this season with a record of 8-2. Stanford played 4 with a record of 3-1.

[Spiny_Norman]

I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree: you cannot make Wake Forest the favorite.  In the team rankings, the gap between them (86-38) this season and Stanford (88-10) is as great as the gap between Wake and the number 16 team.  

I do think Wake is the clear #2, with Texas, USC, UCLA and South Carolina strong but trailing.

Engleman hasn't been in peak form, but every team has at least one player of whom that's true.  (Wake's number four ranks 142d in the country; Stanford's number five, Engleman, ranks 55th)

Stanford beat an elite group in the Pac 12's by six strokes, and its regional by an absurd 18.  We deserve to be the favorites, conceding that picking a favorite for five player, 18 hole match play is a bet no one should make.

Because of an injury to Carolina Chacarra, Wake had a rough patch in early spring. They even played one tournament with only 4 players. Chacarra is back and Wake seems to be rounding into form.

But I will agree that Stanford should be the favorite to win the stroke play portion of the competition. After that, it becomes a crap shoot. I fall back onto the team that won last year. Wake returns 3 players from last year's NC team and only 1 of those players lost a match. Wake also played 8(!) match play events this season with a record of 8-2. Stanford played 4 with a record of 3-1.

[bbm233]

Does anybody know what happened to Brooke Seay? Did she medically retire? She is on the team roster as a covid year/grad, but she hasn't teed it up this year. She was the key, IMO, to the last natty.

[bbm233]

Does anybody know what happened to Brooke Seay? Did she medically retire? She is on the team roster as a covid year/grad, but she hasn't teed it up this year. She was the key, IMO, to the last natty.

[Spiny_Norman]

Does anybody know what happened to Brooke Seay? Did she medically retire? She is on the team roster as a covid year/grad, but she hasn't teed it up this year. She was the key, IMO, to the last natty.

Yes, Seay was nails at the 2022 NCAAs. She was 3-0 in match play and hit one of the clutch shots in Stanford golf history in the semifinals. In a tight all-square match with Kaleigh Telfair of Auburn and all of the pressure on her, Seay hit a perfect 5 wood over water to reach the green on the par 5 18th. 2 putts later, she had a clinching birdie to win 1 up. Stanford absolutely needed that point to win the match.

She returned to Stanford for a 5th year with the expectation of playing. Neither Seay, nor Coach Walker, nor anyone else as far as I know has spoken publicly as to why she has not competed. She suffered a bad concussion that knocked her out for most of the spring season. There may be lingering effects on her golf game.

[Spiny_Norman]

Does anybody know what happened to Brooke Seay? Did she medically retire? She is on the team roster as a covid year/grad, but she hasn't teed it up this year. She was the key, IMO, to the last natty.

Yes, Seay was nails at the 2022 NCAAs. She was 3-0 in match play and hit one of the clutch shots in Stanford golf history in the semifinals. In a tight all-square match with Kaleigh Telfair of Auburn and all of the pressure on her, Seay hit a perfect 5 wood over water to reach the green on the par 5 18th. 2 putts later, she had a clinching birdie to win 1 up. Stanford absolutely needed that point to win the match.

She returned to Stanford for a 5th year with the expectation of playing. Neither Seay, nor Coach Walker, nor anyone else as far as I know has spoken publicly as to why she has not competed. She suffered a bad concussion that knocked her out for most of the spring season. There may be lingering effects on her golf game.

[Cardinal77]

Unlike the last three years, we don't have the favorite to win the individual stroke play crown (guessing Lindblad from LSU or Woad from FSU). I think it is too much to consider Heck to be in the mix (but wouldn't it be a great story?). After all, she has hardly played and kind of came out of nowhere to win the regionals; from the #5 line no less. But I do think we have the best depth in the field and I'd be really shocked if we didn't finish in the top 3 of the team stroke play. The top 8 teams then move on to match play, and that's just a crap shoot. I do think this team stacks up well with any of our teams - there really is no weak link.

Stanford absolutely has the players to finish in the top 8 and advance to match play. It's pretty much what you expect from the #1 team in the country playing for a coach who has proven year after year that she is able to get her team to rise to the challenge of a national championship tournament.

But there are other strong teams in the field. Personally I think the favorite is Wake Forest, defending national champion. USC was the runner up. They brought back 4 of the players from that team (which knocked out Stanford) and added one of the best freshman in the country, Bailey Shoemaker. They will be formidable. Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Florida State all have rosters loaded with top players.

There are of course concerns because we as fans need something to fret about. Englemann has struggled with her game lately. I don't know if it is physical, mechanical, mental. All of the above? She has some things to work on.

Martin Sampedro has been the latest Stanford freshman star. She has finished in the top 10 in 8 of 9 tournaments which is remarkable! But she has not been a strong finisher. She has yet to break 70 in a final round. All of the highest scores in her Stanford career have come in tournament final rounds.

I also think that the match play toughness of this year's team is yet to be proven. Players like Shannon Aubert, Casey Danielson, Mariah Stackhouse, Brooke Seay were at their best in match play. Seay is going to end her Stanford career undefeated in NCAA match play (4-0). The team really could have used her experience.

Here is the NCAA match play record of the Stanford lineup:
Heck 2 wins, 2 losses
Englemann 1 win, 4 losses
Xu 2 wins, 0 losses
Ganne 0 wins, 2 losses
Martin Sampedro no experience yet

I think the success of the team will be determined by the seniors Heck and Englemann. When Stanford won in 2015, the anchors were 2 seniors, Stackhouse and Lauren Kim. When Stanford won in 2022, the anchors were junior Seay and senior Aline Krauter, both of whom were 3-0 in match play. When the men won in 2019, they were led by seniors Isaiah Salinda and Brandon Wu both of whom were 3-0 in match play.

The big unknown is the golf course. No one has seen it before. No one has putted on the greens. How fast will they be? How rough will the rough be? Where is the trouble? Where are the birdie opportunities? Where do you need to play it safe? No one school has the advantage of prior experience.

The finalists in the first year at Grayhawk in 2021 were Mississippi and Oklahoma State, neither of whom are traditional powers. As teams got more familiar with the course in 2022 and 2023 we saw the usual suspects rise to the top, Stanford and Wake Forest. We'll see what happens in year 1 at La Costa.

---

Rose Zhang just won her second professional LPGA tournament today. Maybe the Karma Gods are going to balance the scales this year for all that the golf team has put up with injury wise. I hope Rachel really shines this coming week to make up for last year's absence and empowers the team's performance to be the icing on the cake for a stellar career a transition for the team to the next group of dominant players which arrive next year to complement the talented players that return.

[Cardinal77]

Unlike the last three years, we don't have the favorite to win the individual stroke play crown (guessing Lindblad from LSU or Woad from FSU). I think it is too much to consider Heck to be in the mix (but wouldn't it be a great story?). After all, she has hardly played and kind of came out of nowhere to win the regionals; from the #5 line no less. But I do think we have the best depth in the field and I'd be really shocked if we didn't finish in the top 3 of the team stroke play. The top 8 teams then move on to match play, and that's just a crap shoot. I do think this team stacks up well with any of our teams - there really is no weak link.

Stanford absolutely has the players to finish in the top 8 and advance to match play. It's pretty much what you expect from the #1 team in the country playing for a coach who has proven year after year that she is able to get her team to rise to the challenge of a national championship tournament.

But there are other strong teams in the field. Personally I think the favorite is Wake Forest, defending national champion. USC was the runner up. They brought back 4 of the players from that team (which knocked out Stanford) and added one of the best freshman in the country, Bailey Shoemaker. They will be formidable. Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Florida State all have rosters loaded with top players.

There are of course concerns because we as fans need something to fret about. Englemann has struggled with her game lately. I don't know if it is physical, mechanical, mental. All of the above? She has some things to work on.

Martin Sampedro has been the latest Stanford freshman star. She has finished in the top 10 in 8 of 9 tournaments which is remarkable! But she has not been a strong finisher. She has yet to break 70 in a final round. All of the highest scores in her Stanford career have come in tournament final rounds.

I also think that the match play toughness of this year's team is yet to be proven. Players like Shannon Aubert, Casey Danielson, Mariah Stackhouse, Brooke Seay were at their best in match play. Seay is going to end her Stanford career undefeated in NCAA match play (4-0). The team really could have used her experience.

Here is the NCAA match play record of the Stanford lineup:
Heck 2 wins, 2 losses
Englemann 1 win, 4 losses
Xu 2 wins, 0 losses
Ganne 0 wins, 2 losses
Martin Sampedro no experience yet

I think the success of the team will be determined by the seniors Heck and Englemann. When Stanford won in 2015, the anchors were 2 seniors, Stackhouse and Lauren Kim. When Stanford won in 2022, the anchors were junior Seay and senior Aline Krauter, both of whom were 3-0 in match play. When the men won in 2019, they were led by seniors Isaiah Salinda and Brandon Wu both of whom were 3-0 in match play.

The big unknown is the golf course. No one has seen it before. No one has putted on the greens. How fast will they be? How rough will the rough be? Where is the trouble? Where are the birdie opportunities? Where do you need to play it safe? No one school has the advantage of prior experience.

The finalists in the first year at Grayhawk in 2021 were Mississippi and Oklahoma State, neither of whom are traditional powers. As teams got more familiar with the course in 2022 and 2023 we saw the usual suspects rise to the top, Stanford and Wake Forest. We'll see what happens in year 1 at La Costa.

---

Rose Zhang just won her second professional LPGA tournament today. Maybe the Karma Gods are going to balance the scales this year for all that the golf team has put up with injury wise. I hope Rachel really shines this coming week to make up for last year's absence and empowers the team's performance to be the icing on the cake for a stellar career a transition for the team to the next group of dominant players which arrive next year to complement the talented players that return.

[Spiny_Norman]

The NCAA women's tournament begins today at La Costa in Carlsbad, CA near San Diego. It's a long and tough format. The 30 teams in the field play 54 holes of stroke play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After a cut, the remaining 15 teams play one final stroke play round on Monday. The lowest 8 teams proceed to match play with quarterfinals and semifinals on Tuesday and the finals next Wednesday.

Stanford begins play today at 12 noon pacific. That gives them a chance to see how the course is playing for other teams playing in the earlier wave and can help to confirm the course management plan, i.e., where to play more aggressively and where to play it safe. The line up is the same as for regionals with Rachel Heck, Sadie Englemann, Kelly Xu, Megha Ganne and Paula Martin Sampedro.

Scoreboard here - https://results.golfstat.com/public/lead...&tid=29186

[Spiny_Norman]

The NCAA women's tournament begins today at La Costa in Carlsbad, CA near San Diego. It's a long and tough format. The 30 teams in the field play 54 holes of stroke play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. After a cut, the remaining 15 teams play one final stroke play round on Monday. The lowest 8 teams proceed to match play with quarterfinals and semifinals on Tuesday and the finals next Wednesday.

Stanford begins play today at 12 noon pacific. That gives them a chance to see how the course is playing for other teams playing in the earlier wave and can help to confirm the course management plan, i.e., where to play more aggressively and where to play it safe. The line up is the same as for regionals with Rachel Heck, Sadie Englemann, Kelly Xu, Megha Ganne and Paula Martin Sampedro.

Scoreboard here - https://results.golfstat.com/public/lead...&tid=29186

[Mick]

Rose Zhang just won her second professional LPGA tournament today. Maybe the Karma Gods are going to balance the scales this year for all that the golf team has put up with injury wise. I hope Rachel really shines this coming week to make up for last year's absence and empowers the team's performance to be the icing on the cake for a stellar career a transition for the team to the next group of dominant players which arrive next year to complement the talented players that return.

Rose withdrew from the Liberty National event (along with nine other players, four caddies, and a few reporters). Food poisoning or stomach virus cited.

[Mick]

Rose Zhang just won her second professional LPGA tournament today. Maybe the Karma Gods are going to balance the scales this year for all that the golf team has put up with injury wise. I hope Rachel really shines this coming week to make up for last year's absence and empowers the team's performance to be the icing on the cake for a stellar career a transition for the team to the next group of dominant players which arrive next year to complement the talented players that return.

Rose withdrew from the Liberty National event (along with nine other players, four caddies, and a few reporters). Food poisoning or stomach virus cited.

[Spiny_Norman]

The Cardinal showed excellent patience and disciplined play on Day 1. After the first 10 holes, no Stanford player was under par and the team was +3. But the putts started falling and they finished with a rush of birdies to end at -3. The team was so consistent that the drop score was Sadie Englemann at +1.

Martin Sampedro -2
Heck -1
Ganne E
Xu E
Englemann +1

Stanford sits in 4th place with teams still on the course. They are in much better shape than their playing partners from Wake Forest and South Carolina, the #2 and #3 teams in the country. Wake is at +7, South Carolina at +8. The lead score was posted this morning by Clemson at -8.

Lottie Woad from Florida State leads the individual race at -7.

Quick turnaround. Stanford plays in the 1st group tomorrow morning starting at 6:40 am local time.

[Spiny_Norman]

The Cardinal showed excellent patience and disciplined play on Day 1. After the first 10 holes, no Stanford player was under par and the team was +3. But the putts started falling and they finished with a rush of birdies to end at -3. The team was so consistent that the drop score was Sadie Englemann at +1.

Martin Sampedro -2
Heck -1
Ganne E
Xu E
Englemann +1

Stanford sits in 4th place with teams still on the course. They are in much better shape than their playing partners from Wake Forest and South Carolina, the #2 and #3 teams in the country. Wake is at +7, South Carolina at +8. The lead score was posted this morning by Clemson at -8.

Lottie Woad from Florida State leads the individual race at -7.

Quick turnaround. Stanford plays in the 1st group tomorrow morning starting at 6:40 am local time.

[M T]

Stanford started early today. It appears the course is easier early. Stanford is currently -6 today, for first at -9. Clemson is -8 but hasn’t teed off

[M T]

Stanford started early today. It appears the course is easier early. Stanford is currently -6 today, for first at -9. Clemson is -8 but hasn’t teed off

[M T]

Stanford is finished for the day, -3 for the day, -6 overall, currently in 3rd with others still on the course.  Tx A&M and Clemson are at -11 and -9.

[M T]

Stanford is finished for the day, -3 for the day, -6 overall, currently in 3rd with others still on the course.  Tx A&M and Clemson are at -11 and -9.

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford posted the same score today as yesterday, 285 (-3). And the pattern was the similar as well with most of the birdies coming on the second 9 (5 on the front, 10 on the back).

Ganne 72-70
Englemann 73-71
Heck 71-72
Martin Sampedro 70-72
Xu 72-77

Stanford has moved up to 2nd place. They will play in the 1st group tomorrow with Texas A&M and Clemson. There was a big advantage to playing early today. All of the low rounds today came from teams playing in the morning. Maybe the greens got firmer and the wind picked up in the afternoon.

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford posted the same score today as yesterday, 285 (-3). And the pattern was the similar as well with most of the birdies coming on the second 9 (5 on the front, 10 on the back).

Ganne 72-70
Englemann 73-71
Heck 71-72
Martin Sampedro 70-72
Xu 72-77

Stanford has moved up to 2nd place. They will play in the 1st group tomorrow with Texas A&M and Clemson. There was a big advantage to playing early today. All of the low rounds today came from teams playing in the morning. Maybe the greens got firmer and the wind picked up in the afternoon.

[qwerty49]

Here's the leaderboard.  TAMU's top player is -8 for the first 2 rounds.

https://results.golfstat.com/public/lead...&tid=29186

I have never seen a more convoluted format to determine a national championship.  I THINK I get it now:

"In the championship finals, all 30 teams and six individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play. Following 54 holes of competition, the top 15 teams along with the top nine individuals will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match-play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will be placed into a bracket with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 8 seed, the No. 2 seed playing the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed playing the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed playing the No. 5 seed in match play.

"A total of five points will be available with one point being awarded for each individual match. Winning teams will advance to the semifinals and subsequently the finals. The first team to win three points within the team match will advance, or in the case of the final match be declared the national champion."

[qwerty49]

Here's the leaderboard.  TAMU's top player is -8 for the first 2 rounds.

https://results.golfstat.com/public/lead...&tid=29186

I have never seen a more convoluted format to determine a national championship.  I THINK I get it now:

"In the championship finals, all 30 teams and six individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play. Following 54 holes of competition, the top 15 teams along with the top nine individuals will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match-play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will be placed into a bracket with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 8 seed, the No. 2 seed playing the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed playing the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed playing the No. 5 seed in match play.

"A total of five points will be available with one point being awarded for each individual match. Winning teams will advance to the semifinals and subsequently the finals. The first team to win three points within the team match will advance, or in the case of the final match be declared the national champion."

[Spiny_Norman]

For the 3rd consecutive day, Stanford shot 285, 3 under par. Are you getting bored? I'm not. -3 looks to be the low round of the day. All 5 players continue to be a model of consistency. Stanford was led today by Kelly Xu who recovered from yesterday's 77 to post a 2 under par 70. It would have been Stanford's 1st score in the 60s this week until she bogeyed 18.

Stanford sits in 2nd, a shot behind Texas A&M. Stanford is 21 shots clear of the teams in 7th and 8th place with one round to play. The team of course has work to do tomorrow. But it would be a monumental collapse not to qualify for match play.  

Cumulative results.
Martin Sampedro 70-72-70 - 212
Ganne 72-70-72 - 214
Heck 71-72-73 - 216
Englemann 73-71-74 - 218
Xu 72-77-70 - 219

The afternoon players are still on the course, but as of now Martin Sampedro, Ganne and Heck are all in the top 20.

[Spiny_Norman]

For the 3rd consecutive day, Stanford shot 285, 3 under par. Are you getting bored? I'm not. -3 looks to be the low round of the day. All 5 players continue to be a model of consistency. Stanford was led today by Kelly Xu who recovered from yesterday's 77 to post a 2 under par 70. It would have been Stanford's 1st score in the 60s this week until she bogeyed 18.

Stanford sits in 2nd, a shot behind Texas A&M. Stanford is 21 shots clear of the teams in 7th and 8th place with one round to play. The team of course has work to do tomorrow. But it would be a monumental collapse not to qualify for match play.  

Cumulative results.
Martin Sampedro 70-72-70 - 212
Ganne 72-70-72 - 214
Heck 71-72-73 - 216
Englemann 73-71-74 - 218
Xu 72-77-70 - 219

The afternoon players are still on the course, but as of now Martin Sampedro, Ganne and Heck are all in the top 20.

[oldalum]

They are playing really well, have clearly learned how to play the course. So far the only completed round under par today.

[oldalum]

They are playing really well, have clearly learned how to play the course. So far the only completed round under par today.

[Jamesy]

Interesting to follow from a director's cup perspective, Texas is currently sitting on the cut line at T-15. If they miss the top 15, that would have significant director's cup implications.

[Jamesy]

Interesting to follow from a director's cup perspective, Texas is currently sitting on the cut line at T-15. If they miss the top 15, that would have significant director's cup implications.

[PVTree]

I was hoping that Texas and Wake Forest didn't make the cut. With every team increasing their score as the day goes by, it looks like they'll make the cut.

[PVTree]

I was hoping that Texas and Wake Forest didn't make the cut. With every team increasing their score as the day goes by, it looks like they'll make the cut.

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford will be playing with Texas A&M and Clemson again tomorrow. They will be in the final set of tee times off the 1st tee so that the top teams will finish in prime time for the Golf Channel coverage. I expect Stanford to start around 11:30 or 12 pacific. A nice chance to sleep in after playing at 6:40 am the past 2 days.

Golf Channel will cover the final round from 4 to 7 pm pacific.

The team cannot look ahead but we can. Stanford and Texas A&M are well clear of the scrum for the final match play spots. Clemson and LSU have about a 10 shot cushion. Northwestern, UCLA, Oregon, Auburn, Arkansas and USC are all within 5 shots of each other in competition for the final 4 spots. Duke, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Texas and Florida State are well back and would need a lot of help to move up into contention.

Stanford and Texas A&M have separated themselves with their strong stroke play. Both are veterans of NCAA match play as well. Texas A&M has 4 players who have played in match play each of the last 2 years. They advanced to the semifinals in 2022 and 2023.

Stanford has 3 players (Ganne, Xu, Englemann) returning from last year's team that lost in the semifinals to USC. Additionally, both Heck and Englemann played in match play in 2021 and 2022.

LSU also is notable for its NCAA experience. They just missed qualifying for match play in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

[Spiny_Norman]

Stanford will be playing with Texas A&M and Clemson again tomorrow. They will be in the final set of tee times off the 1st tee so that the top teams will finish in prime time for the Golf Channel coverage. I expect Stanford to start around 11:30 or 12 pacific. A nice chance to sleep in after playing at 6:40 am the past 2 days.

Golf Channel will cover the final round from 4 to 7 pm pacific.

The team cannot look ahead but we can. Stanford and Texas A&M are well clear of the scrum for the final match play spots. Clemson and LSU have about a 10 shot cushion. Northwestern, UCLA, Oregon, Auburn, Arkansas and USC are all within 5 shots of each other in competition for the final 4 spots. Duke, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Texas and Florida State are well back and would need a lot of help to move up into contention.

Stanford and Texas A&M have separated themselves with their strong stroke play. Both are veterans of NCAA match play as well. Texas A&M has 4 players who have played in match play each of the last 2 years. They advanced to the semifinals in 2022 and 2023.

Stanford has 3 players (Ganne, Xu, Englemann) returning from last year's team that lost in the semifinals to USC. Additionally, both Heck and Englemann played in match play in 2021 and 2022.

LSU also is notable for its NCAA experience. They just missed qualifying for match play in 2021, 2022 and 2023.