The challengers are lined up for No. 1 Stanford after a week of regional drama

 

   Stanford, playing like it was mad at somebody, continued its inexorable march toward an NCAA crown on its home course in the Stanford Regional.

   But nobody knows better than Stanford that there are no guarantees when the NCAA Championship tees off May 22 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. There are any number of challengers coming out of this week’s NCAA Regionals who respect, but don’t fear the Cardinal, not the least of which is an old Pac-12 rival in …

   Big Ten champion Southern California, No. 2 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings and the top seed in the Ann Arbor Regional, came on strong in Wednesday’s final round to capture the team title in a tough field that included two of its conference rivals in Ohio State and defending national champion Northwestern and Atlantic Coast Conference power Duke, owner of seven NCAA crowns.

   The picture of the Women of Troy celebrating their regional crown on the Southern California website featured a lot of cold-weather gear, not surprising for mid-May in Ann Arbor.

   But behind Elise Lee, a sophomore from Irvine, Calif., Southern Cal registered a 1-under-par 283 over the 6,265-yard, par-71 University of Michigan Golf Course, an Alister MacKenzie design, to rally past Ohio State and take the team crown with a 1-over 853 total.

   The Trojans had opened with a 2-under 282 and added a 4-over 288 in Tuesday’s second round that left them a shot behind Ohio State in a tie for second place with Northwestern.

   It was the eighth tournament title in the wraparound 2025-2026 season and seventh straight victory for Southern Cal. It was an NCAA record 16^th regional crown in the history of the program and ran the Trojans’ string of NCAA Championship appearances to 28 straight, a remarkable display of consistent excellence.

   Elise Lee, who was in the starting lineup for Northwestern when it stunned Stanford in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match a year ago at La Costa, finished in a tie for second place in the individual chase for Southern Cal, a shot behind her old teammate Ashley Yun, a junior from West Covina, Calif. who captured the individual title with a 5-under 208 total, and in a tie for second place with another old teammate in Dianna Lee, a senior from San Diego, Calif. and No. 65 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and the gritty hero of the Wildcats’ run their first national championship last spring.

   Elise Lee added a 3-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to her sparkling opening round of 5-under 66 before closing with a 2-under 69 in the difficult conditions of Wednesday’s final round to get a share of second place with Dianna Lee at 4-under 209.

   Really nice showing for Ohio State, under the leadership of head coach Lisa Strom, the Pennsylvania scholastic champion as a senior at Lansdale Catholic in 1994.

   The Buckeyes, No. 29 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, had added a 6-over 290 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 5-under 279 and took a one-shot lead into the final round.

   Ohio State closed with a 5-over 289 and held onto second place with a 6-over 858 total that left it five shots behind Southern Cal and, most importantly, punched its ticket to the NCAA Championship at La Costa.

   Duke, No. 10 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, made sure it was packing for Carlsbad, Calif. as the Blue Devils closed with an 8-over 292 to finish eight shots behind Ohio State in third place with a 16-over 868 total.

   Duke had added a 6-over 290 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 2-over 286.

   Northwestern, No. 32 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, always seems to be playing its best golf at this most important time of the season and the Wildcats gave themselves a chance to defending their NCAA title at La Costa by closing with a 15-over 299 to end up a shot behind Duke in fourth place with a 17-over 869 total.

   Northwestern had added a 7-over 291 in Tuesday’s second round to its strong start, a 5-under 279.

   Yun led the way for the Wildcats as she added a 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to her sparkling opening round of  5-under 66 before closing with a 2-over 73 that gave her the individual title with a 5-under 218 total.

   Dianna Lee’s clutch gene was very much on display as she closed with a 3-under 68, the best individual round of the day, to get a share of second place with USC’s Elise Lee at 4-under 209. Dianna Lee had matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 71 after opening with a 1-under 70.

   Big 12 representative Texas Tech, No. 48 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded eighth, grabbed the final berth to the NCAA Championship out of the Ann Arbor Regional as the Red Raiders closed with a 17-over 301 to finish in fifth place with a 22-over 874 total.

   Texas Tech had added a solid 1-over 285 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 4-over 288.

   Backing up Elise Lee for Southern Cal was fellow Irvine, Calif. resident Catherine Park, a senior who is No. 11 in the Women’s WAGR and finished in fifth place in the individual standings with a 2-under 211 total.

   Park posted her second straight 2-under 69 in Wednesday’s final round after she had opened with a 2-overr 73.

   Kylie Chong, a sophomore from Torrance, Calif. and No. 59 in the Women’s WAGR, finished among the group tied for 11^th place at 2-over 215 for Southern Cal as she tallied back-to-back 1-over 72s in the final two rounds after matching par in the opening round with a 71.

   Bailey Shoemaker, a junior from Dade City, Fla. and No. 49 in the Women’s WAGR, finished in a tie for 21^st place for the Trojans with a 5-over 218 total as she registered back-to-back 2-over 73s in the final two rounds after opening with a 1-over 72.

   Rounding out the Southern California lineup was Sarah Hammett, a freshman from Australia who finished alone in 41^st place with a 227 total. Hammett recorded back-to-back 5-over 76s in the final two rounds after opening with a 75.

   Teams are allowed to bring a substitute to postseason tournaments and in my post following the opening round, I wrote that Ohio State’s Kary Hollenbaugh, a senior from New Albany, Ohio and No. 25 in the Women’s WAGR had to be best bench player in the tournament.

   That was not entirely accurate, though, because Southern Cal had Jasmine Koo, a sophomore from Cerritos, Calif. and No. 13 in the Women’s WAGR on its bench. Neither Hollenbaugh nor Koo played.

   Minnesota’s senior stalwart, Isabella McCauley of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., will finish her outstanding college career at the NCAA Championship as she finished in fourth place in the individual standings with a 3-under 210 total to nail down the lone individual berth to nationals from a non-advancing team available at Ann Arbor.

   McCauley surged into contention with a sparkling 4-under 67 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 2-under 69. McCauley had opened with a 3-over 74.

   Duke got a nice showing from Katie Li, a junior from Basking Ridge, N.J. who finished in the group tied for 15^th place with a 3-over 216 total. Li added a 2-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 72 before matching par in the final round.

   Freshman Avery McCrery, a Wilmington, Del. native and winner of the Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Junior Girls’ Championship in the pandemic summer of 2020, finished among a trio tied for 30^th place for the Dookies with a 9-over 222 total. McCrery matched par with a 71 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 2-over 73, but struggled a little in the final round with a 78.

   Sophomore Megan Meng, a scholastic standout at Hopewell Valley Central in Pennington, N.J., was solid for Northwestern, ending up in the group tied for 26^th place with an 8-over 221 total. Meng added a 1-over 72 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 74 before closing with a 75.

   In the Chapel Hill Regional, Texas, out of the Southeastern Conference, took control of the team chase in Tuesday’s second round and rolled to an 11-shot victory over North Carolina, another ACC power.

   The Longhorns, No. 5 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed at the UNC Finley Golf Course, surged into first place on the strength of a 9-under 271 in Tuesday’s second round and closed with a 5-over 285 for a 5-under 865 total.

   Texas had opened with a 1-under 279 that left it five shots behind host North Carolina.

   Texas was led by Cindy Hsu, a senior from Taiwan who finished in third place in the individual standings with a 5-under 205 total that was a shot behind co-medalists Thanana Kotchasanmanee, Princeton’s freshman standout from Thailand who captured the Ivy League’s individual title, and Oklahoma State’s Marta Silchenko, a junior from Latvia.

   Hsu held a three-shot lead in the individual standings going into the final round after firing back-to-back 4-under 66s over the 6,177-yard, par-70 UNC Finley layout before closing with a 3-over 73.

   North Carolina, No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, trailed Texas by four shots going into the final round as the Tar Heels matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 280 after opening with a 6-under 274.

   North Carolina closed with a 12-over 292 to earn runnerup honors with a 6-over 846 total that enabled it to book a return trip to the NCAA Championship at La Costa.

   Oklahoma State, a perennial Big 12 power, closed with its second straight 3-over 283 to finish two shots behind North Carolina in third place with an 8-over 848 total.

   The Cowgirls, No. 20 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth, had opened with a 2-over 282.

   Silchenko closed with a sparkling 4-under 66 to get a share of medalist honors at 6-under 204. Silchenko had matched par in the opening round with a 70 before adding a 2-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Michigan State out of the Big Ten and ACC representatives Virginia and North Carolina State finished in a three-way tie for fourth place at 18-over 858 and had to head back out on the golf course for a three-way playoff for the final two berths to the NCAA Championship.

   After the five-hole playoff, it was the Spartans, No. 39 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh, and the Cavaliers, No. 35 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, who had the best aggregate scores and punched their tickets to Carlsbad.

   Michigan State had the best team round in Wednesday’s final round, a 2-over 282 to earn its spot in the three-way playoff. The Spartans had opened with a 6-over 286 before struggling a little in a 10-over 290 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Virginia also struggled in Tuesday’s second round with a 13-over 293 after opening with a solid 1-over 281. The Cavaliers battled their way into the playoff on the strength of a 4-over 284 in the final round.

   Backing up Hsu for Texas were its two top players, Farah O’Keefe, a junior home girl from Austin, Texas and No. 4 in the Women’s WAGR, and Lauren Kim, a junior from Canada and No. 15 in the Women’s WAGR, both of whom landed among the trio tied for seventh place at 1-under 209.

   O’Keefe shared low-amateur honors in the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season on the LPGA Tour, last month at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas. Her lofty spot in the Women’s WAGR earned her an automatic bid for the United States side in next month’s Curtis Cup Match at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif.

   O’Keefe surged into contention with a 5-under 65 in Tuesday’s second round after she had matched par in the opening round with a 70. O’Keefe closed with a 4-over 74.

   Kim was the low Longhorn in the final round with a 3-under 67 to finish at 1-under. She had opened with a 2-over 72 before matching par Tuesday’s second round with a 70.

   Selina Liao, a junior from Taiwan, finished among the trio tied for 16^th place with a 4-over 214 total as she matched par in Tuesday’ second round with a 70 after opening with a 1-over 71 before closing with a 73.

   Angela Heo, a senior from Murrietta, Calif., rounded out the Texas lineup as she finished in the group tied for 21^st place with a 6-over 216 total. Heo was the picture of consistency at the UNC Finley layout, rattling off three straight 2-over 72s.

   Really nice effort by Princeton’s Kotchasanmanee as she became just the fourth Ivy Leaguer ever to advance to the NCAA Championship, all of them Tigers. Kotchasanmanee closed with a sparkling 4-under 66 to get share of medalist honors with Oklahoma State’s Silchenko at 6-under.

   Kotchasanmanee had opened with a bookend 66 before adding a 2-over 72 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Richmond, which earned a spot in the field for the Chapel Hill Regional by taking the title in the Atlantic 10 Championship for a second straight spring, finished in 11^th place as the 11 seed with a 62-ovder 902 total.

   Senior Hannah Lydic, a scholastic standout at Sussex Academy in Delaware, was solid for the Spiders as she closed with a second straight 4-over 74 to finish among the group tied for 37^th place with an 11-over 221 total. Lydic had opened with a 3-over 73.

   In the Louisville Regional, SEC runnerup Auburn, No. 7 in the Scoreboard rankings, and seeded second, overtook Houston, the Big 12 runnerup, to capture the team crown at the Louisville Golf Club with a 17-under 847 total.

   The Plains Tigers were led by Anna Davis, a junior from Spring Valley, Calif. and No. 22 in the Women’s WAGR, as she closed with a 1-under 71 over the 6,384-yard, par-71 Louisville layout to claim the team title with a 10-under 206 total.

   The left-hander had surged into contention on the strength of a sizzling 7-under 65 in Tuesday’s second round that gave her a share of the lead with Indiana’s Sheridan Clancy, a redshirt senior from Australia, going into the final round. Davis had opened with a 2-under 70.

   Davis was recently named to the U.S. Curtis Cup team that will battle Great Britain & Ireland next month at Bel-Air because if you get a chance to add Anna Davis to your team, you just do it.

   Behind Davis’ 65 in Tuesday’s second round, Auburn tallied a 15-under 273 in Tuesday’s second round to creep within two shots of front-running Houston. The Plains Tigers had opened with a 2-under 286.

   Auburn matched par in the final round with a 288 to get it to 17-under.

   Houston, No. 30 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth at Louisville, struggled a little in the final round, but held onto second place with a an 11-under 853 total that left the Cougars six shots behind Auburn.

   Houston had added a sparkling 13-under 275 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 6-under 282 to take a two-shot lead into the final round.

   Another SEC power, Arkansas, No. 6 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in the Louisville Regional, finished a shot behind Houston in third place with a 10-under 854 total.

   The Razorbacks were steady, adding a 7-under 281 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 4-under 284 before closing with a 1-over 289.

   Big 12 champion Iowa State, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third in Louisville, and Mississippi, another SEC representative that is No. 19 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth, finished in a tie for fourth place, both ending up a shot behind Arkansas with a 9-under 855 total.

   The Cyclones added a sparkling 12-under 276 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 1-under 287 before closing with a 4-over 292. It earned Iowa State a second straight trip to the NCAA Championship and only the third trip to nationals in program history.

   Ole Miss was steady throughout, adding a 1-under 287 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 6-under 282 before closing with a 2-under 286.

   The Rebels were led by Kajsalotta Svarvar, a sophomore from Sweden and No. 82 in the Women’s WAGR, as she finished in third place, a shot behind Indiana’s Clancy with an 8-under 208 total.

   Backing up Davis for Auburn was Molly Brown Davidson, a sophomore from Springville, Ala. who finished among a trio tied for sixth place with a 6-under 210 total. Brown Davidson added a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 70 before closing with a 1-under 71.

   Carys Worby, a redshirt senior from Wales, finished in the group tied for 13^th place at 2-under 214 for the Plains Tigers as she added a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of 3-over 75 before closing with a 2-under 70.

   Charlotte Cantonis, a freshman from Tampa, Fla., struggled a little in the final round with a 4-over 76 to finish in the group tied for 30^th place 1-over 217, but was solid in the first two rounds for Auburn, adding a 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 71.

   Rounding out the Auburn lineup was Katie Cranston, a senior from Canada and No. 100 in the Women’s WAGR who finished in a tie for 50^th place with a 226 total. Cranston added a 1-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 75 before closing with a 77.

   Indiana’s Clancy will compete in Carlsbad as an individual after some outstanding play in Louisville. She added a sparkling 5-under 67 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 68 and shared the individual lead with Auburn’s Davis going into the final round. Clancy matched par in the final round with a 72.

   In the Tallahassee Regional, perennial ACC power Wake Forest, No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, came on strong in the final round with a 10-under 278 at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club to capture the team title by four shots over ACC rival and tournament host Florida State.

   The Demon Deacons had opened with a 3-under 285 over the 6,292-yard, par-72 Seminole Legacy layout and struggled to a 5-over 293 in Tuesday’s second round that was plagued by delays for rain and lightning. That left them seven shots behind SEC power and top-seeded Florida going into the final round.

   It was the second straight regional crown for Wake Forest and it will be making its 11^th straight trip to the NCAA Championship.

   Wake Forest was led by Morgan Ketchum, a graduate student who came home to Winston-Salem after being a standout at Virginia Tech, as she got a share of the individual title with Florida State’s Sophia Fullbrook, a sophomore from England and No. 55 in the Women’s WAGR, each finishing with a 7-under 209 total.

   Ketchum closed with a sparkling 6-under 66 that helped put the Demon Deacons over the top and earned her a share of the individual title. She had matched par in Tuesday’s rainy second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-under 71.

   Florida State, No. 25 in the Scoreboard rankings and the four seed on its home course, matched par in the final round with a 288 to finish four shots behind Wake Forest in second place with a 4-under 860 total.

   The Seminoles had endured the rainy weather to put up a 1-under 287 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 3-under 285.

   Florida State was led by Fullbrook, who closed with a 4-under 68 to share medalist honors with Ketchum at 7-under. Fullbrook matched par in Tuesday’s tough conditions with a 72 after opening with a 3-under 69.

   Florida, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Tallahassee, had held a one-shot lead over its in-state rival Florida State going into the final round as the Gators matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 288 after opening with a 5-under 283.

   Florida slipped back to third place with a final round of 2-over 290 that left it a shot behind Florida State with a 3-under 861 total.

   Mid-American Conference runnerup Eastern Michigan, No. 27 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth in Tallahassee, finished in fourth place and earned a spot in the field for the NCAA Championship with a 5-over 869 total.

   The Eagles, making the first appearance in an NCAA regional in the history of the program, had added a 5-over 293 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 1-under 287 before closing with a solid 1-over 289.

   Kentucky, another SEC representative, made a big move in the final round with a 9-under 279 to grab the final spot at nationals out of the Tallahassee Regional as the Wildcats finished in fifth place with a 6-over 870 total.

   Kentucky, No. 34 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, had struggled in the difficult conditions of Tuesday’s second round, adding a 300 to its solid opening round of 3-over 291.

   The Wildcats were led by C.A. Carter, a sophomore home girl from Lexington, Ky., who fueled their final-round surge with a sizzling 7-under 65 that left her in a tie for third place in the individual standings with a 6-under 210 total.

   Carter had added a 2-over 74 in rainy second round Tuesday to her opening round of 1-under 71.

   Backing up Ketchum for Wake Forest was Chloe Kovelesky, a sophomore from Boca Raton, Fla. and No. 32 in the Women’s WAGR, as she finished in a tie for third place with Kentucky’s Carter and Louisiana Monroe’s Johanna Sjursen, a sophomore from Sweden, at 6-under.

   Kovelesky was really solid in Tuesday’s tough conditions, carding a second straight 3-under 69 that left her just two shots behind Sjursen in the individual standings going into the final round. Kovelesky matched par in the final round with a 72.

   Junior Macy Pate, another home girl from Winston-Salem, N.C. and No. 35 in the Women’s WAGR, contributed a 4-under 68 to Wake Forest’s final-round surge as she finished among the trio tied for 16^th place with a 2-over 218 total.

   Pate had recorded a second straight 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round.

   Anne-Sterre den Dunnen, a senior from the Netherlands and No. 93 in the Women’s WAGR, matched par in the final round with a 72 for the Demon Deacons as she finished in the group tied for 31^st place with a 6-over 222 total. Den Dunnen had struggled in Tuesday’s difficult conditions with a 7-over 70 after opening with a solid 1-under 71.

   Rounding out the Wake Forest lineup was Cartoon Rujiranan, a freshman from Thailand who finished among the trio tied for 45^th place with a 229 total. Rujiranan added a 5-over 77 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of 2-over 74 before closing with a 78.

   Sun Belt Conference champion Louisiana Monroe was unable to advance to nationals as a team as the War Hawks stumbled in the final round, but Sjursen will represent ULM as an individual at La Costa as she finished among the trio tied for third place at 6-under.

   Sjursen held the lead in the individual standings going into the final round as she registered a borderline spectacular 5-under 67 in the difficult conditions of Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 3-under 69. Sjursen closed with a 2-over 74.

   In the Waco Regional, SMU, riding the wave of its run to the final in the ACC Championship, captured the team title with a 17-under 823 total at Ridgewood Country Club that gave the Mustangs a six-shot victory over SEC power Texas A&M.

   SMU, No. 21 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth in Waco, was led by Celine Chen, a junior from Australia, and Kirra St. Laurent, a freshman from French Polynesia, as they finished among a group of four players tied for third place at 5-under 205.

   SMU closed with a 3-under 277 over the 6,094-yard, par-70 Ridgewood layout to complete a wire-to-wire victory with a 17-under 823 total.

   The Mustangs posted a sparkling 11-under 269 in Tuesday’s second round to their bookend opening round of 3-under 277.

   Chen had bookend 3-under 67s in the first and final rounds around a 1-over 71 in Tuesday’s second round to get her share of third place at 5-under.

   St. Laurent contributed a sizzling 6-under 64 to SMU’s second-round surge Tuesday after opening with a 1-over 71. St. Laurent matched par in the final round with a 70 to join her teammate Chen at 5-under.

   Texas A&M, No. 4 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Waco, added a 6-under 274 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of even-par 280 that left the Aggies eight shots behind SMU going into the final round.

   Texas A&M closed with a 5-under 275 for an 11-under 829 total.

   The Aggies were led by Vanessa Borolivos, a sophomore from Canada and No. 21 in the Women’s WAGR, as she captured medalist honors in the individual chase by four shots with a 10-under 200 total.

   Borolivos added a 1-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening round of 4-under 66 before closing with a sparkling 5-under 65.

   It was another 11 shots back to host Baylor, out of the Big 12, in third place in the team standings as the Bears closed with the best team round of the final round on their home course, a 6-under 274, to end up with an even-par 840 total and earn its sixth straight trip to the NCAA Championship.

   Baylor, No. 26 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, had carded a 2-under 278 in Tuesday’s second round after struggling a little in an opening-round 288.

   Another SEC entry, LSU, No. 36 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, finished a shot behind Baylor in fourth place with a 1-over 841 total.

   The Bayou Tigers moved up the leaderboard with an 8-under 272 in Tuesday’s second round after struggling a little in an opening round of 7-over 287. LSU closed with a 2-over 282 to book its trip to La Costa for nationals.

   LSU was led by Francesca Fiorellini, a sophomore from Italy who joined the foursome tied for third place at 5-under.

   Fiorellini contributed a 2-under 68 to the Bayou Tigers’ surge in Tuesday’s second after she had opened with a 3-under 67. Fiorellini matched par in the final round with a 70.

   Tennessee, coming off the first SEC championship in the history of the program, kept its postseason going by beating Tulsa, the American Athletic Conference champion, in a playoff to grab the final ticket to the nationals at La Costa after the two teams both landed on 7-over 847.

   The Volunteers, No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, closed with a 1-under 279 to force the playoff for the final bid out of the Waco Regional to Carlsbad. Tennessee had added a 6-over 286 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 2-over 282.

   Backing up Chen and St. Laurent for SMU was Emily Odwin, a senior from Barbados and No. 68 in the Women’s WAGR who finished in a tie for 10^th place in the individual standings with a 2-under 208 total.

   Odwin recorded a 2-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 1-over 71 and then closed with a 1-under 69.

   Grace Jin, a junior from Huntsville, Texas, finished alone in 12^th place for the Mustangs with a 1-under 209 total as she matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 70 after opening with a solid 2-under 68. Jin closed with a 1-over 71.

   Rounding out the SMU lineup was Mackenzie Lee, a senior from North Little Rock, Ark. and No. 46 in the Women’s WAGR as she contributed a 3-under 67 to the Mustangs’ surge in Tuesday’s second round on her way to a tie for 13^th place with an even-par 280 total.

   Lee had opened with a 2-over 72 and closed with a 1-over 71.

   TCU’s Kiersten Angosta, a junior from Las Vegas, Nev., signed for her second straight 4-under 66 in the final round to finish in second place in the individual standings with a 6-under 204 total that earned her the lone individual bid to the NCAA Championship to a player from a non-advancing team. Angosta had opened with a 2-over 72.

   Angosta’s runnerup finish also meant it was the end of the line for Oregon’s Kiara Romero, a junior from San Jose, Calif. and the No. 1 player in the Women’s WAGR.

   It was a disappointing week for the Ducks, No. 8 in the Scoreboard ranking and seeded second in Waco, as they finished in seventh place in the team standings, failing to advance to the NCAA Championship.

   Romero landed in the quartet tied for third place at 4-under, a shot behind Angosta. Romero had matched par in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a sparkling 4-under 66. But her final-round 69 wasn’t enough to earn her that lone individual spot.

   Which brings us to the Stanford Regional, where the Cardinal, playing on their home course, the Stanford Golf Course, broke all kinds of records with a spectacular 42-under 810 total that gave them a 38-shot margin of victory over runnerup Pepperdine.

   Stanford, the ACC champion and ranked No. 1 in the Scoreboard rankings throughout the wraparound 2025-’26 season, couldn’t have been much more impressive.

   Stanford added a sizzling 17-under 267 over the 6,267-yard, par-71 Stanford Golf Course layout in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 9-under 275 to take a 19-shot lead into the final round.

   The Cardinal proceeded to close with a 16-under 268 to easily break the team record for 54 holes on their home course. The margin of victory was also a team record.

   Stanford’s lineup all finished among the top six finishers in the individual standings, led by medalist Andrea Revuelta, a sophomore from Spain and No. 3 in the Women’s WAGR who defeated her fellow Spaniard and Stanford teammate Paula Martin Sampedro by two shots with a 12-under 201 total.

   Revuelta posted back-to-back 6-under 65s in the final two rounds after matching par in the opening round with a 71.

   Martin Sampedro, the medalist in the ACC Championship at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C., closed with a 3-under 68 to take second place with a 10-under 203 total.

   West Coast Conference champion Pepperdine, No. 11 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second at Stanford, was the runnerup, although the Waves weren’t in the same zip code as Stanford with a 4-under 848 total.

   Pepperdine added a solid 6-under 248 in Tuesday’s second round to its opening round of 1-under 283 before closing with a 3-over 287.

   The Waves were led by Jeneath Wong, a senior from Australia and No. 92 in the Women’s WAGR, as she elbowed her way among all those Stanford stars by finishing in third place, a shot behind Martin Sampedro with a 9-under 204 total.

   Wong rocketed up the leaderboard on the strength of an 8-under 63 in Tuesday’s second round after she had matched par in the opening round with a 71. Wong closed with a 1-under 70.

   Oregon State, the runnerup to Pepperdine in the WCC, outperformed its No. 50 spot in the Scoreboard rankings and its nine seed, to punch its ticket to the NCAA Championship as the Beavers finished in third place with a 2-over 854 total.

   Oregon State recorded a 1-over 285 in Tuesday’s second round after getting off to a great start with a 5-under 279. The Beavers closed with a 6-over 290.

   Arizona State, out of the Big 12, matched par in the final round with a 284 to finish two shots behind Oregon State in fourth place with a 4-over 856 total and reach the NCAA Championship for the 40^th time, more than any other program.

   The Sun Devils, No.22 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth at Stanford, had added a 2-under 282 in Tuesday’s second round to their opening round of 6-over 290.

   Missouri, on the other hand, grabbed the final berth to La Costa out of the Stanford Regional for just its second appearance at nationals as the Tigers closed with a 2-over 286 to finish in fifth place, four shots behind Arizona State with an 8-over 860 total.

   Missouri had matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 284 after opening with a 6-over 290.

   Backing up Revuelta and Martin Sampedro for Stanford was Kelly Xu, a senior from Claremont, Calif. and No. 18 in the Women’s WAGR – she is the lowest-ranked player in the Stanford lineup – as she finished a shot behind Pepperdine’s Wong in fourth place with an 8-under 205 total.

   Xu contributed a 4-under 67 to Stanford’s sizzling second-round performance and a 3-under 68 to the Cardinal’s blazing finish. Xu had opened with a 1-under 70.

   Meja Ortengren, a sophomore from Sweden and No. 6 in the Women’s WAGR, gave Stanford a fourth top-five finisher as she finished a shot behind her teammate Xu in fifth place with a 7-under 206 total.

   Ortengren had three rounds in the 60s, including back-to-back 2-under 69s in the final two rounds after opening with a 3-under 68.

   Rounding out the Stanford lineup was the pride of Holmdel, N.J., Megha Ganne, once the freshman phenom and now a senior putting the finishing touches on a tremendous amateur career.

   Ganne, No. 10 in the Women’s WAGR, closed with a sparkling 5-under 66 to finish among the trio tied for sixth place with a 6-under 207 total. Ganne had matched par with a 71 in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 4-under 67.

   Disappointing week for Angelina Tolentino, the former scholastic standout at Lenape in South Jersey who is a sophomore at SEC power Vanderbilt, and the Commodores.

   Vanderbilt, No. 13 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, finished in sixth place with a 13-over 868 total.

   Tolentino, the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion in 2024 at Waynesborough Country Club was subbed out in Tuesday’s second round after opening with a 4-over 75. She was back in the lineup for Wednesday’s final round, but struggled to a 79.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio State, Northwestern share lead in Ann Arbor as NCAA regionals tee off all over the country

 

   Lisa Strom, the Pennsylvania scholastic champion in 1994 as a senior at Lansdale Catholic, has always cast a wide net in recruiting wherever she’s coached.

   The woman seems to have connections in every corner of the world and she’s not afraid to reach out when she sees a player that might want to come to Columbus, Ohio to play golf for The Ohio State University.

   Strom did it at Texas State and at Kent State and now, in her fifth season as the head coach at Ohio State, where she starred as a player, Strom’s young international cast was tied for the lead following Monday’s opening round of the NCAA’s Ann Arbor Regional with Big Ten rival and reigning national champion Northwestern.

   May Madness teed off at six regional sites around the country Monday. The top five finishers in the team competition and one individual from a non-advancing team will advance to the NCAA Championship, which tees off May 22 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

   I suspect it was Big Ten weather, a little on the chilly side, at the University of Michigan Golf Course for the opening round of the Ann Arbor Regional, so it’s not a huge shock to see Ohio State and Northwestern, a couple of Big Ten OGs, at the top of the leaderboard as each posted a 5-under-par 279 total in Monday’s opening round.

   The 6,205-yard, par-71 University of Michigan Golf Course is an Alister MacKenzie design, you know, the Augusta National guy, so you know Ohio State was in its comfort zone since its Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course was originally planned by MacKenzie before he passed away.

   Northwestern, No. 32 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings and seeded sixth at Ann Arbor, was led by Ashley Yun, a junior from West Covina, Calif. who grabbed a share of the individual lead with Southern California’s Elise Lee, a sophomore from Irvine, Calif. and No. 58 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), as each carded a sparkling 5-under 66.

   Elise Lee transferred to Southern Cal from Northwestern and was in the lineup for the Wildcats when they stunned Stanford in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match a year ago at La Costa.

   Ohio State, No. 29 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth at Ann Arbor, was coming off a runnerup finish to Southern Cal in the Big Ten Championship at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, Calif.

   Behind Elise Lee, Big Ten champion Southern Cal, No. 2 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed at Ann Arbor, was three shots behind Northwestern and Ohio State in third place with a 2-under 282 total.

   It was another four shots back to perennial Atlantic Coast Conference power Duke, No. 10 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, as the Blue Devils were in fourth place with a 2-over 286 total.

   Central Florida, No. 14 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, was another shot behind Duke in fifth place with a 3-over 287 total. UCF is a Big 12 representative.

   Backing up Yun for Northwestern was Lauren E. Lee, a freshman from Irvine, Calif. who was among the group tied for sixth place with a 2-under 69.

   Dianna Lee, a senior from San Diego, Calif. and No. 65 in the Women’s WAGR, was the gritty hero for the Wildcats in their run to the national championship at La Costa a year ago. Dianna Lee landed in the group tied for 10^th place with an opening round of 1-under 70.

   Sophomore Megan Meng, a product of Hopewell Valley Central in Pennington, N.J., and Hsin Tai Lin, a sophomore from Taiwan, rounded out the Northwestern lineup as they finished among the group tied for 33^rd place, each signing for a 3-over 74.

   Matilda Santilli, a freshman from England, led the way for Ohio State as she was sitting among the trio tied for third place with a 3-under 68.

   Marina Joyce-Moreno, a sophomore from Spain, was another shot behind her teammate Santilli, in the group tied for sixth place at 2-under 69.

   Mandy Song, a sophomore from China, and Sophie Eppelstun, a freshman from Australia, were among the group tied for 15^th place at even-par 71 for the Buckeyes.

   Rounding out the Ohio State lineup was Nellie Ong, a sophomore from England and No. 53 in the Women’s WAGR who was in the group tied for 22^nd place with a 1-over 72.

   You’re allowed to bring a sixth player to regionals and sub her in the lineup and Strom might have the best sub in the country in Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State’s senior leader from New Albany, Ohio and No. 24 in the Women’s WAGR.

   Not sure if Hollenbaugh’s hurt – they don’t put out injury reports in college golf like they do for football -- or, more likely, her teammates have worked so hard to become as good as Hollenbaugh’s been at Ohio State that now they are as good as she is.

   There were a couple of familiar names in the Duke lineup, Katie Li, a junior from Basking Ridge, N.J., and freshman Avery McCrery, a Wilmington, Del. native who began her scholastic career at the Tower Hill School.

   Li recorded a 1-over 72 and was in the group tied for 22^nd place while McCrery, making her debut in an NCAA regional, was a shot behind Li in the group tied for 27^th place with a 2-over 73.

   In the only regional being contested in the Pacific time zone, Stanford continued its redemption tour by taking a four-shot lead with an opening round of 9-under 275 on its home course, the Stanford Golf Course, in the Stanford Regional.

   Stanford, which opened the postseason with a dominant run to the ACC Championship, looked like the No. 1 team in the Scoreboard rankings that it has been throughout the wraparound 2025-2026 season and the top seed that it is in the Stanford Regional.

   Senior Megha Ganne, the reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion from Holmdel, N.J., and No. 10 in the Women’s WAGR, and Meja Ortengren, a sophomore from Sweden and No. 6 in the Women’s WAGR, led the way for the Cardinal as they were among a trio of players tied for second place, four shots behind the leader, New Mexico State’s Emma Bunch, a senior from Denmark, each registering a 3-under 68 over the 6,267-yard, par-71 Stanford Golf Course layout.

   Stanford’s old Pac-12 rival Oregon State, the West Coast Conference runnerup that is No. 50 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded ninth at Stanford, was four shots behind the Cardinal in second place with a solid opening round of 5-under 279.

   WCC champion Pepperdine, No. 11 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, was another four shots behind the Beavers in third place with a 1-under 283.

   Vanderbilt, out of the powerful Southeastern Conference, was three shots behind Pepperdine in fourth place with a 2-over 286 start at Stanford. The Commodores are No. 13 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third.

   Another of Stanford’s former Pac-12 rivals, Arizona, now playing out of the Big 12, rounded out the top five following the opening round at Stanford as the Wildcats were a shot behind Vanderbilt in fifth place with a 3-over 287 total. Arizona is No. 33 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth in the Stanford Regional.

   Bunch, competing as an individual, seized the individual lead with a sizzling 7-under 64.

   Joining Ganne and Ortengren in the trio tied for second place at 3-under was San Francisco’s Eva Pett, a senior from Denver, Colo.

   Backing up Ganne and Ortengren for Stanford was Paula Martin Sampedro, a junior from Spain and No. 2 on the Women’s WAGR, as she was in the group tied for fifth place with a 2-under 69. Martin Sampedro is the reigning Royal & Ancient Women’s Amateur champion.

   Kelly Xu, a senior from Claremont, Calif. and No. 18, was among the group tied for 10^th place with a 1-under 70 for the Cardinal.

   Rounding out the Stanford lineup was Paula Revuelta, a sophomore from Spain and No. 3 in the Women’s WAGR, as she matched par with a 71 to land in the group tied for 16^th place. Revuelta was the runnerup in last month’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

   Sophomore Angelina Tolentino, a product of Lenape High, was in the lineup for Vanderbilt and was in the group tied for 44^th place with a 4-over 75. Tolentino was the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion in 2024 at Waynesborough Country Club.

   In the Chapel Hill Regional, North Carolina took full advantage of its familiarity with its home course, the UNC Finley Golf Course, to grab a five-shot lead with an opening round of 6-under 274.

   The Tar Heels, playing out of the ACC, are No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second in Chapel Hill.

   Megan Streicher, a senior from South Africa and No. 43 in the Women’s WAGR, led the way for the Tar Heels as she opened with a sparkling 5-under 65 over the 6,177-yard, par-70 UNC Finley layout to take a one-shot lead in the individual chase.

   SEC representative Texas, No. 5 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Chapel Hill, was five shots behind North Carolina in second place with a 1-under 279 total.

   The Longhorns were led by Cindy Hsu, a senior from Taiwan who ended up in a share of second place with Princeton’s Thanana Kotchasanmanee, a freshman from Thailand, each signing for a 4-under 66 to sit a shot behind Streicher.

   Kotchasanmanee, competing as an individual, captured the Ivy League individual championship a couple of weeks ago at Baltusrol Golf Club’s Lower Course in Springfield, N.J.

   Virginia, one of North Carolina’s ACC rivals, was two shots behind Texas in third place at 1-over 281. The Cavaliers, No. 35 in the Scoreboard rankings, are the six seed in Chapel Hill.

   Oklahoma State, out of the Big 12, and Mississippi State, another SEC representative, were tied for fourth place, each ending up a shot behind Virginia with a 2-over 282 total.

   Backing up Streicher for North Carolina were Reagan Southerland, a junior from Atlanta, Ga., and Ing Iadpluem, a junior from Thailand, as both were among the group tied for fifth place at 1-under 69.

   Marie Prats-Rigual, a sophomore from France, carded a 1-over 71 and was in the group tied for 18^th place for the Tar Heels.

   Rounding out the North Carolina lineup was Inez Ng, a senior from Singapore who was among the group tied for 48^th place with a 6-over 76.

   For the second year in a row, Richmond captured the team title in the Atlantic 10 Championship and the Spiders, seeded 11^th, were in 11^th place with a 27-over 307 total.

   Senior Hannah Lydic, who starred scholastically at Sussex Academy in Delaware, was among the group tied for 31^st place for Richmond with a 3-over 73.

   In the Louisville Regional, there was also a tie for first place following the opening round at the Louisville Golf Club as Houston, the Big 12 runnerup, and SEC power Mississippi shared the top spot with a 6-under 282.

   Houston, No. 30 in the Scoreboard rankings, is the five seed in the Louisville Regional.

   Ole Miss, No. 19 and seeded sixth in the Louisville Regional, was led by Kajsalotta Svarvar, a sophomore from Sweden who grabbed a share of the individual lead with a 5-under 67 over the par-72 Louisville Golf Club layout.

   Another SEC power, Arkansas, No. 6 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in the Louisville Regional, got a share of third place with upstart Xavier, the Big East champion, each landing two shots behind Houston and Ole Miss with a 4-under 284 total.

   Xavier, No. 72 in the Scoreboard rankings, is seeded 10^th.

   SEC runnerup Auburn, No. 7 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, and ACC representative Virginia Tech, No. 37 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, were tied for fifth place, each opening with a 2-under 286 total.

   Leading the way for Houston was Moa Svedenskoid, a sophomore from Sweden who was among the group tied for sixth place with a 3-under 69.

   Backing up Svedenskoid for the Cougars was Maelynn Kim, a junior from Katy, Texas who landed in the group tied for 12^th place with a solid 2-under 70.

   Natalie Saint German, a senior from the Czech Republic, was in the group tied for 18^th place with a 1-under 71 for Houston.

   Alexa Saldana, a senior from Mexico, matched par with a 72 and was in the group tied for 23rd place for the Cougars.

   Rounding out the lineup for Houston was Emilia Vaisto, a sophomore from Finland who was among the group tied for 36^th place with a 1-over 73.

   Backing up Svarvar for Ole Miss was Mary Miller, a sophomore from Savannah, Ga. who landed in the group tied for sixth place with a 3-under 69.

   Sophie Linder, a freshman from Carthage, Tenn., matched par with a 72 to join the group tied for 23^rd place.

   Matilda Bjorkman, a freshman from Sweden, was in the group tied for 42^nd place with a 2-over 74 for the Rebels.

   Rounding out the Ole Miss lineup was sophomore Flppa Sundquist, another Swede who was among the group tied for 52^nd place with a 5-over 77.

   Joining Ole Miss’ Svarvar in the trio tied for first place in the individual standings at 5-under were Kansas State’s Nanami Nakashima, a sophomore from Japan, and Middle Tennessee’s Isabella Johnson, a sophomore from Murfreesboro, Tenn. who is competing as an individual.

   In the Tallahassee Regional, SEC power Florida, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed, grabbed a two-shot with an opening round of 5-under 283 at the Seminole Legacy Golf Club.

   Leading the way for the Gators was Siuue Wu, a sophomore from Hong Kong who landed among a group of five players tied for second place in the individual standings with a 3-under 69 over the 6,292-yard, par-72 Seminole Legacy layout.

   A couple of ACC powers, Florida’s in-state rival Florida State, No. 25 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth on its home course -- the Gators and the Seminoles may be in difference conferences, but, trust me, the rivalry is real -- and Wake Forest, No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings and the second seed, were tied for second place after each carded a 3-under 285.

   A couple of upstarts, Mid-American Conference runnerup Eastern Michigan, No. 27 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, and Sun Belt champion Louisiana Monroe, No. 64 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded ninth, were tied for fourth place after each opened with a 1-under 287.

   Eastern Michigan was led by Janae Leovao, a senior from Oceanside, Calif. who grabbed the individual lead with a 4-under 68.

   Backing up Wu for Florida was Megan Propeck, a graduate student from Leawood, Kan. who was in the group tied for seventh place with a 2-under 70.

   SEC individual champion Paula Francisco, a junior from Spain and No. 29 in the Women’s WAGR, was another shot behind Propeck in the group tied for 12^th place after posting a 1-under 71 for the Gators.

   Rounding out the Florida lineup were Katelyn Huber, a freshman from Gainesville, Ga., and Elaine Widjaja, a sophomore from Indonesia, both of whom signed for a 1-over 73 that left them in the group tied for 22^nd place.

   Joining Florida’s Wu in the quintet tied for second place in the individual standings at 3-under were Clemson’s Isabella Rawl, a senior from Lexington, S.C., Wake Forest’s Chloe Kovelesky, a sophomore from Boca Raton, Fla. and No. 31 in the Women’s WAGR, Florida State’s Sophie Fullbrook, a senior from England and No. 54 in the Women’s WAGR, and Louisiana Monroe’s Johanna Sjursen, a senior from Sweden.

   In the Waco Regional, SMU, coming off a run to the final in the ACC, jumped out to a three-shot lead over Texas A&M and Oregon with a 3-under 277 at Ridgewood Country Club.

   The Mustangs are No. 21 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth in Waco.

   Texas A&M, No. 4 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Waco, matched par with a 280.

   The Aggies, another SEC power, were led by Vanessa Borovilos, a sophomore from Canada and No. 21 in the Women’s WAGR who was part of a three-way tie for first place in the individual standings with a sparkling 4-under 66 over the 6,094-yard, par-70 Ridgewood layout.

   Joining Texas A&M at even-par was Big Ten representative Oregon, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings and the second seed.

   The Ducks were led by the No. 1 player in the Women’s WAGR, Kiara Romero, a junior from San Jose, Calif. who joined Borovilos in the tie at the top of the leaderboard at 4-under.

   Tennessee, coming off a stunning run to the first SEC championship in the history of the program, was two shots behind Texas A&M and Oregon in fourth place with a 2-over 282.

   The Volunteers, No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third in Waco, were led by Kyra Van Kan, a sophomore from South Africa who rounded out the trio tied for first place in the individual standings at 4-under.

   American Athletic Conference champion Tulsa was four shots behind Tennessee in fifth place with a 6-over 286. The Golden Hurricane are No. 49 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded eighth in Waco.

   Leading the way for SMU was Celine Chen, a junior from Australia whose 3-under 67 left her in a tie for fourth place.

   Backing up Chen for the Mustangs was Grace Jin, a junior from Huntsville, Texas who was alone in sixth place with a 2-under 68.

   Kirra St. Laurent, a freshman from French Polynesia, and Emily Odwin, a senior from Barbados and No. 68 in the Women’s WAGR, landed in the group tied for 12^th place at 1-over 71 for the Mustangs.

   Rounding out the SMU lineup was Mackenzie Lee, a senior from North Little Rock, Ark. and No. 42 in the Women’s WAGR who was among the group tied for 21^st place with a 2-over 72.

   This post is a table-setter for the final two rounds to come Tuesday and Wednesday. Just transcribing the results from Rounds 2 and 3 will keep me busy and I’ll come back with a roundup at the end of the week.