[Spiny_Norman]

You know what was even more fun than watching Stanford win a national championship on TV? Watching it in person!!

I joined a good contingent of Stanford fans in the gallery. There were at least as many Stanford fans as USC rooters following each group. I went out with the first group, Paula Martin Sampedro vs. Catherine Park. On the first hole, Martin Sampedro rattled in a mid length birdie putt. Park rolled in a birdie right on top of her. Park then made birdie on 2 to take a 1 up lead. It was on! But Martin Sampedro just kept executing shots, placing her drives in the right spot and her approach shots onto the green within birdie distance. It was an outstanding display of shotmaking. I saw her hit one poor shot, a chunky wedge that came up short. But she got up and down for par. Meanwhile her opponent flinched. Martin Sampedro turned around her deficit when she won 4 of 6 holes sandwiched around a Park birdie. This gave Martin Sampedro a 2 up lead after 10. 

I was planning to drop back and watch other matches, but the quality of play was so good that I did not want to miss it. Also I did not want to mess with the good mojo. On 11 they both hit their approaches so close that they halved the hole in conceded birdies. 12, 13 and 14 had more birdie opportunities for both players with putts just sliding by. On 15, Park missed another makeable birdie. Martin Sampedro got a great read off Park and then made her birdie to go 3 up with 3 to play! On 16 Park once again took dead aim and knocked it close but just missed the birdie. Martin Sampedro eased her birdie putt near the hole and the match was over. 

Martin Sampedro's point had been just preceded by Meja Ortengren completely dominating her opponent for a 6&5 win. Neither Martin Sampedro nor Ortengren made a bogey all day.

With one more point needed to win the championship, I moved back to pick up Megha Ganne's match which looked like it would be the clincher. Ganne got an early 4 up lead which became 2 up after a couple of Ganne bogeys. But Ganne then made a looooong birdie putt on 10 to regain a 3 up lead. I picked up the group in time to see Ganne make a birdie on 14 to go 4 up with 4 to play and it was just about over. 

And on the next hole, it was over! I looked around me for other Stanford fans with whom to share the moment and celebrate. A guy in a Stanford hat was next to me who just seemed to be someone I might know. It was Nobadeer!! Completely coincidentally we were standing next to each other at the moment Stanford won the national championship. It was pretty cool to share that with a Cardboarder. And it also turns out that I know his wife who was in my class at Stanford. I should add that Nobadeer had the presence of mind to play All Right Now on his phone as the players hugged and celebrated. It felt just about perfect.

All in all, a pretty fantastic day. Make room in the trophy case for more hardware!!

[Spiny_Norman]

You know what was even more fun than watching Stanford win a national championship on TV? Watching it in person!!

I joined a good contingent of Stanford fans in the gallery. There were at least as many Stanford fans as USC rooters following each group. I went out with the first group, Paula Martin Sampedro vs. Catherine Park. On the first hole, Martin Sampedro rattled in a mid length birdie putt. Park rolled in a birdie right on top of her. Park then made birdie on 2 to take a 1 up lead. It was on! But Martin Sampedro just kept executing shots, placing her drives in the right spot and her approach shots onto the green within birdie distance. It was an outstanding display of shotmaking. I saw her hit one poor shot, a chunky wedge that came up short. But she got up and down for par. Meanwhile her opponent flinched. Martin Sampedro turned around her deficit when she won 4 of 6 holes sandwiched around a Park birdie. This gave Martin Sampedro a 2 up lead after 10. 

I was planning to drop back and watch other matches, but the quality of play was so good that I did not want to miss it. Also I did not want to mess with the good mojo. On 11 they both hit their approaches so close that they halved the hole in conceded birdies. 12, 13 and 14 had more birdie opportunities for both players with putts just sliding by. On 15, Park missed another makeable birdie. Martin Sampedro got a great read off Park and then made her birdie to go 3 up with 3 to play! On 16 Park once again took dead aim and knocked it close but just missed the birdie. Martin Sampedro eased her birdie putt near the hole and the match was over. 

Martin Sampedro's point had been just preceded by Meja Ortengren completely dominating her opponent for a 6&5 win. Neither Martin Sampedro nor Ortengren made a bogey all day.

With one more point needed to win the championship, I moved back to pick up Megha Ganne's match which looked like it would be the clincher. Ganne got an early 4 up lead which became 2 up after a couple of Ganne bogeys. But Ganne then made a looooong birdie putt on 10 to regain a 3 up lead. I picked up the group in time to see Ganne make a birdie on 14 to go 4 up with 4 to play and it was just about over. 

And on the next hole, it was over! I looked around me for other Stanford fans with whom to share the moment and celebrate. A guy in a Stanford hat was next to me who just seemed to be someone I might know. It was Nobadeer!! Completely coincidentally we were standing next to each other at the moment Stanford won the national championship. It was pretty cool to share that with a Cardboarder. And it also turns out that I know his wife who was in my class at Stanford. I should add that Nobadeer had the presence of mind to play All Right Now on his phone as the players hugged and celebrated. It felt just about perfect.

All in all, a pretty fantastic day. Make room in the trophy case for more hardware!!