Coming into the NCAA Championship as the defending national champion, Stanford was a favorite to repeat. Its sophomore star, Rose Zhang, was also heavily favored to repeat as individual champion. Rachel Heck, the 2021 individual champion, was also back in the lineup, adding further excitement.
After the opening nine, Stanford was 8 over and carded only three birdies. Only four teams were beneath the Cardinal on the leaderboard.
Come the back nine, it was a different story.
Stanford went on a run and got it back to even par with a flurry of back-nine birdies. Zhang finished at even par. Megha Ganne was the low Cardinal, shooting 4 under, which came consecutively on the back nine.
Rose Zhang from Stanford plays her tee shot on the 10th hole during the first day of stroke play competition at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher)
For Heck, it was a struggle in her return from rib surgery. She started and ended with a bogey in an 82.
However, the Cardinal is inside the top 10 after the first day, a start contrast from how it started early.
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