[GK3]

Stanford men's team looking better than earlier.  Better play by those not named Salinda and Wu.  Remains to be seen how it plays out, but they are looking better.

The Women's team is looking even better.  Took 7 players to Arizona and the two playing as individuals may score better than two of those who scores are are going to count.  Going to be hard to pick the top 5 for future tournaments.  Seems to me that our #4 ranking might be too low.  We beat UCLA at the Bruin Wave, and now look to be crushing them in Arizona.  SC currently not that impressive for a #1.  
What are your thoughts on the two teams and how the future may play out.

One thing is for sure, if both Lee and Valenzuela return, the women's team next year will be formidable to say the least.

[GK3]

Stanford men's team looking better than earlier.  Better play by those not named Salinda and Wu.  Remains to be seen how it plays out, but they are looking better.

The Women's team is looking even better.  Took 7 players to Arizona and the two playing as individuals may score better than two of those who scores are are going to count.  Going to be hard to pick the top 5 for future tournaments.  Seems to me that our #4 ranking might be too low.  We beat UCLA at the Bruin Wave, and now look to be crushing them in Arizona.  SC currently not that impressive for a #1.  
What are your thoughts on the two teams and how the future may play out.

One thing is for sure, if both Lee and Valenzuela return, the women's team next year will be formidable to say the least.

[Spiny_Norman]

The men had an undistinguished fall season and started the 2019 campaign with a disappointing showing in Hawaii. They finished 50 shots behind the winner Oklahoma State. But they have been on a nice upward trend since then, led by Brandon Wu. Wu is a senior who had never won a tournament at Stanford, but was getting closer and closer. At La Quinta in February, he finished a shot behind Viktor Hovland from OSU, the reigning US Amateur champ. At Las Vegas at the beginning of March, he finished 3rd, 2 shots behind the winner. 

Then yesterday at the Goodwin at Stanford, Wu was again in the hunt. When several players at the top of the leaderboard stumbled on the back 9 of the final round, Wu birdied 10, 14 and 17 to jump past them to the top . . . where he was tied by his teammate David Snyder with a birdie on 18. It was the best performance of Snyder's career.  And Stanford won its first tournament of the year.

Coach Ray seems to have settled on a solid 4 players with Wu, Salinda (still trying to find his form from last summer when he made the semifinals of the US Amateur), Snyder and Henry Shimp. He is still trying to find a reliable 5th player.

The men have one more regular season tournament, the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo before Pac 12s. But the team is guaranteed to advance to regionals because Stanford is hosting May 13-15. Yes, Stanford will get to play regionals on their own course where they just won a tournament by 18 shots over three top 11 teams. I don't think this team can win a national championship, but they have a chance to advance to NCAAs which I would not have predicted 6 weeks ago.

[Spiny_Norman]

The men had an undistinguished fall season and started the 2019 campaign with a disappointing showing in Hawaii. They finished 50 shots behind the winner Oklahoma State. But they have been on a nice upward trend since then, led by Brandon Wu. Wu is a senior who had never won a tournament at Stanford, but was getting closer and closer. At La Quinta in February, he finished a shot behind Viktor Hovland from OSU, the reigning US Amateur champ. At Las Vegas at the beginning of March, he finished 3rd, 2 shots behind the winner. 

Then yesterday at the Goodwin at Stanford, Wu was again in the hunt. When several players at the top of the leaderboard stumbled on the back 9 of the final round, Wu birdied 10, 14 and 17 to jump past them to the top . . . where he was tied by his teammate David Snyder with a birdie on 18. It was the best performance of Snyder's career.  And Stanford won its first tournament of the year.

Coach Ray seems to have settled on a solid 4 players with Wu, Salinda (still trying to find his form from last summer when he made the semifinals of the US Amateur), Snyder and Henry Shimp. He is still trying to find a reliable 5th player.

The men have one more regular season tournament, the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo before Pac 12s. But the team is guaranteed to advance to regionals because Stanford is hosting May 13-15. Yes, Stanford will get to play regionals on their own course where they just won a tournament by 18 shots over three top 11 teams. I don't think this team can win a national championship, but they have a chance to advance to NCAAs which I would not have predicted 6 weeks ago.

[Hulk01]

The men don't have the players to go far.  They've been pleasantly solid this year, but having Wu covers several sins. 

The women have the nation's best player and another top ten player in Valenzuela, but they're not as strong at three and four as teams including USC.  Zeng has a nice tournament but that happens.  Perhaps she's turned a corner.  She looks good doing it.  (When Zeng plays, this is the easily prettiest team in college golf history.  When she doesn't, it still might be.)

Krauter has been solid and Reyes looks like she deserves a top five spot, with Wang and Liu fighting it out for the last spot.  Liu may be more upside.

[Hulk01]

The men don't have the players to go far.  They've been pleasantly solid this year, but having Wu covers several sins. 

The women have the nation's best player and another top ten player in Valenzuela, but they're not as strong at three and four as teams including USC.  Zeng has a nice tournament but that happens.  Perhaps she's turned a corner.  She looks good doing it.  (When Zeng plays, this is the easily prettiest team in college golf history.  When she doesn't, it still might be.)

Krauter has been solid and Reyes looks like she deserves a top five spot, with Wang and Liu fighting it out for the last spot.  Liu may be more upside.

[Spiny_Norman]

Current Golfweek rankings:
Stanford women - #3
Stanford men - #21
Andrea Lee - #2 individual
Albane Valenzuela - #6 individual
Brandon Wu - #14 individual

The women will be competing this weekend at Silverado without Lee or Valenzuela. Lee is playing in the inaugural Augusta Women's Amateur tournament. Valenzuela is competing at the ANA Inspiration, the LPGA's first major of the year (along with future Cardinal, Rachel Heck).

[Spiny_Norman]

Current Golfweek rankings:
Stanford women - #3
Stanford men - #21
Andrea Lee - #2 individual
Albane Valenzuela - #6 individual
Brandon Wu - #14 individual

The women will be competing this weekend at Silverado without Lee or Valenzuela. Lee is playing in the inaugural Augusta Women's Amateur tournament. Valenzuela is competing at the ANA Inspiration, the LPGA's first major of the year (along with future Cardinal, Rachel Heck).

[winflop]

I walked the course Thu & Fri as a volunteer scorer. Gave me a new appreciation for how challenging it is. One of the players I walked with qualified for the US Open last year. Having played Shinnecock I asked him about it - he said it was by far the most challenging course he'd ever played. Another player is going to the first round of Q school next weekend. They were both over par that day.

I'm going to discount performance in a home tournament because the team knows that course like the back of its hand. That won't be the situation anywhere else this year. The men's team is playing better this spring but they aren't deep enough to make a good run at NCAAs. I think if they make it out of regionals that will be an accomplishment this year.

The women look like one of the top teams in the country and are far more consistent. Discount the results at Silverado - it's like evaluating the 90s Bulls playing a game without Jordan & Pippen. Lee and Valenzuela are among the top amateurs in the world, not just US college ranks. Not sure where they stand as far as graduating this year but if they aren't my guess is they come back.

[winflop]

I walked the course Thu & Fri as a volunteer scorer. Gave me a new appreciation for how challenging it is. One of the players I walked with qualified for the US Open last year. Having played Shinnecock I asked him about it - he said it was by far the most challenging course he'd ever played. Another player is going to the first round of Q school next weekend. They were both over par that day.

I'm going to discount performance in a home tournament because the team knows that course like the back of its hand. That won't be the situation anywhere else this year. The men's team is playing better this spring but they aren't deep enough to make a good run at NCAAs. I think if they make it out of regionals that will be an accomplishment this year.

The women look like one of the top teams in the country and are far more consistent. Discount the results at Silverado - it's like evaluating the 90s Bulls playing a game without Jordan & Pippen. Lee and Valenzuela are among the top amateurs in the world, not just US college ranks. Not sure where they stand as far as graduating this year but if they aren't my guess is they come back.