05-20-2025, 11:27 AM
(05-20-2025, 10:52 AM)Spiny_Norman Wrote: A huuuuge win for Martin Sampedro. Her first ever NCAA match play win. She was officially 0-1 last year but was down in one match and all square in the other when Stanford clinched.
As she explained in her post-match interview, it's hard to get the ball close to the hole on approach shots. The course is pretty forgiving off the tee, but requires very precise shots around the green. The pins are tucked, the greens are firm, the wind is up. The players are used to taking dead aim at the hole, getting it close, having good birdie putts. Martin Sampedro played very steady with 16 pars and one very important birdie on 15.
Stanford's frosh have been terrific today!! Ortengren and Revuelta were rocks all morning. The veterans on the other hand played tighter.
I am a little concerned about Xu. She had a 2 up lead on the front 9, then bogeyed 4 of the next 6 holes and she never could catch up. Yesterday as she had a chance to contend for the individual championship, she dunked her tee shot on the par 3 16th in the water. It barely got half way to the hole. I think Coach Walker placed her 3rd in the lineup to protect her a bit.
But Stanford's experience and depth eventually won the day this morning. Looks like an ACC match up vs. FSU this afternoon.
I would consider Xu to be our 5th golfer, despite her performance in stroke play. She came out of nowhere to finish 3rd in stroke play, but she's consistently been our 5th golfer all year and lost 8&6 in her ACC semis match (the worst possible loss is 10&8).
