Stanford restores order at NCAA Championship as No. 1 Cardinal grab a five-shot lead at La Costa

 

   Some semblance of order was restored in Round 2 of the NCAA Championship Saturday as defending champion Stanford, the No. 1 team in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, rose to the top of the heap in the team standings at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

   The Cardinal, in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, was in 10^th place following a 5-over-par 293 over the 6,330-yard, par-72 La Costa layout.

   But the star-studded Stanford lineup responded with a sparkling 10-under 278 in Saturday’s second round that gave it a 5-under 571 total and a five-shot lead over Big Ten power Northwestern, No. 11 in the Scoreboard rankings.

   Stanford was coming off a runaway victory in the NCAA’s Norman Regional at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. Northwestern was the runnerup in Norman, finishing nine shots behind the Cardinal.

   The 30-team field will be cut in half following Sunday’s third round. The top eight finishers following Monday’s fourth round of stroke play will comprise the match-play bracket that will compete in the final leg of the NCAA Championship.

   In the individual competition, Mississippi State’s Avery Weed, a sophomore from Ocean Springs, Miss. and No. 57 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), added a 4-under 68 in Saturday’s second round to her opening-round 69 to take a two-shot lead over South Carolina’s Eila Galitsky, a freshman from Thailand and No. 17 in the Women’s WAGR, with a 7-under 137 total.

   Northwestern added a 3-under 285 in Saturday’s second round to its opening round of 3-over 291 as the Wildcats were five shots behind Stanford in second place with an even-par 576 total.

   Oregon, the Big Ten champion in its first season in the conference, was another shot behind Northwestern in third place with a 1-over 577 total. The Ducks, No. 5 in the Scoreboard rankings, posted a 1-over 289 in Saturday’s second round after matching par in the opening round with a 288.

   Southern California, like Oregon a member of the Big Ten’s new West Wing, and ACC champion Florida State were two shots behind Oregon in a tie for fourth place, each landing on 3-over 579.

   The Trojans, No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings, added a 1-under 287 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 4-over 292. The Seminoles bounced back from an opening round of 7-over 295 with a solid 4-under 284 in Saturday’s second round.

   Southern California was led by Catherine Park, a junior from Irvine, Calif. and No. 6 in the Women’s WAGR, as she landed among a trio of players that included Oklahoma State’s Grace Kilcrease, a junior from Springdale, Ark., and LSU’s Elsa Sevensson, a senior from Sweden, in a tie for third place at 4-under 140.

   Park, who finished in a tie for second place in the NCAA Championship’s individual chase as a freshman in 2023 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., matched par in Saturday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 4-under 68.

   Oregon and Southern California joined Stanford – then all members of the expiring Pac-12 – in the semifinals in last spring’s NCAA Championship at La Costa.

   The Southeastern Conference’s Mississippi State, behind Weed, was alone in sixth place, a shot behind Southern California and Florida State at 4-over 580. The Bulldogs, No. 18 in the Scoreboard rankings, added a solid 2-under 286 in Saturday’s second round to their opening round of 6-over 294.

   Texas, which left the Big 12 for the SEC this season, and Oklahoma State, out of the Big 12, were tied for seventh place, each ending up a shot behind Mississippi State at 5-over 571.

   The Longhorns, No. 6 in the Scoreboard rankings, had matched par in the opening round with a 288 and added a 5-over 293 in Saturday’s second round. The Cowgirls, No. 25 in the Scoreboard rankings, had opened with a 4-under 284, but struggled a little with a 9-over 297 in Saturday’s second round.

   Oklahoma State was led by Kilcrease, who was among that trio tied for third place at 4-under. After opening with a 3-under 69, Kilcrease added a 1-under 71 in Saturday’s second round.

   Big 12 runnerup Arizona State, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings, was a shot behind Texas and Oklahoma State and Texas in ninth place with a 6-over 582 total. The Sun Devils had matched par in the opening round with a 288 before adding a 6-over 294 in Saturday’s second round.

   SEC champion South Carolina, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings, bounced back from an opening round of 9-over 297 with a 2-under 286 as the Gamecocks rounded out the top 10 in the team standings in 10^th place at 7-over 583.

   Stanford was led Kelly Xu, a junior from Claremont and No. 29 in the Women’s WAGR, and Paula Martin Sampedro, a sophomore form Spain and No. 13 in the Women’s WAGR, as each was among the group tied for sixth place at 3-uner 141.

   A veteran of so many of the Cardinal’s high-level moments, Xu added a solid 3-under 69 in Saturday’s second round after matching par in the opening round with a 72. Martin Sampedro was the low Cardinal for the day with a sparkling 4-under 68 after she had opened with a 1-over 73.

   Another of Stanford’s junior leaders, Megha Ganne of Holmdel, N.J. and No. 11 in the Women’s WAGR, was in the group tied for 24^th place with a 1-over 145 total as she added a 1-under 71 in Saturday’s second round to her opening round of 2-over 74.

   Stanford’s pair of fabulous freshmen, Meja Ortengren of Sweden and No. 15 in the Women’s WAGR, and Andrea Revuelta of Spain and No. 4 in the Women’s WAGR, were in the group tied for 43^rd place at 3-over 147.

   Ortengren bounced back from an opening round of 5-over 77 with a solid 2-under 70. Revuelta, coming off the individual crown in the Norman Regional, added a 1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round to her opening round of 2-over 74.

   Vanderbilt freshman Angelina Tolentino, the reigning Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion, recorded a second straight 4-over 76 and was among the group tied for 103^rd place at 8-over 152. Tolentino, a Mount Laurel, N.J. native, starred scholastically at Lenape High.

   Vanderbilt, out of the SEC and No. 24 in the Scoreboard rankings, was the surprising leader in the team standings following an opening round of 6-under 282. The Commodores struggled to a 306 in Saturday’s second round and fell back into a tie for 13^th place at 12-over 588.

  Purdue senior Natasha Kiel, a New Hope resident who starred scholastically at George School, signed for a second straight 6-over 78 and was in the group tied for 137^th place at 14-over 156. Kiel has been the runnerup in the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur in each of the last two summers.

   The Boilermakers, a Big Ten power and No. 41 in the Scoreboard rankings, added a 304 in Saturday’s second round to their opening-round 303 and were tied for 26^th place at 31-over 607.