10-29-2023, 07:23 AM
(10-21-2023, 03:03 PM)GK3 Wrote:(10-21-2023, 02:23 PM)Spiny_Norman Wrote: Stanford now is being led by a frosh and 2 sophomores. Playing #1 this week is frosh Paula Martin Sampedro. Playing #2 is soph Kelly Xu. Playing #3 is soph Megha Ganne.
Bringing up the last 2 spots are seniors Sadie Englemann and Rachel Heck. One might expect the seniors to lead, particularly Heck. But she has struggled to reclaim the form she had as a frosh. I think we are seeing a team in transition with players in different roles than they might have expected. Martin Sampedro has been the best player on the team so far this fall and who saw that coming?
But fall golf is not the same as spring golf. We'll see what happens once we get to February and March. It might be the case that Heck (former NCAA champ) is fighting for the 5th spot on the team.
I think it is asking a lot of Freshmen and Sophomores to carry the team into February and March. For several years we have had serious leadership from the upperclassmen, now we are asking a first or second year player to carry the Flag. A bit too much I think. I expected Megha to step up this year, and she still might, but it is looking less likely. Hard to say what has happened with Rachel, but she is clearly not the player she once was. I think Stanford has opened her eyes to lots of other things in life and I do not think golf is as important to her as it once was. Plus who knows how much the injury hurt her game.
I am not optimistic about either the women's or men's prospects this year. FWLTIW
A fair round of golf for Rose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuYuJu6ThOQ