DALLAS — Hitting the links for the first time in October, Stanford women’s golf made the trek out to Dallas to take part in the 2023 Stephens Cup. The Cardinal took home the crown last year after beating Wake Forest in match play, and Stanford is once again in contention through the first day of competition. Day one featured 36 holes of golf, and Stanford is sitting in a three-way tie for second, three strokes back of the lead. Play was halted due to darkness with most teams nearing the completion of the second round.
A trio of Stanford stars were at the top through the first 18 holes: Paula Martin Sampedro, Kelly Xu, and Caroline Sturdza were all under par, with Martin Sampedro and Xu at 2-under 70. They did so in different ways, with Xu leading the charge off the first tee. The Cardinal began play on the back nine, and Xu recorded five birdies during her first nine holes. Her teammates caught up to her on the front nine, with Martin Sampedro shooting 3-under and Sturdza matching that total, with four birdies.
Through the first round of competition, Stanford was sitting in third place with a 283, just four strokes back of South Carolina for the lead and three strokes behind Wake Forest for second.
Round two belonged to the Texas Longhorns, who raced out quickly to move from fourth to first place overall thanks to an impressive 276 in the second round. Stanford did not shoot poorly in the second round, with Megha Ganne improving from her some early struggles in the first round to go 3-under on the front nine. Ganne was 4-under through 15 before play was suspended due to darkness. Xu was able to finish her round and was 3-under 69 to improve by one stroke, while Martin Sampedro was 2-under through 16.
After the first day of competition, Stanford is tied with Wake Forest for the most birdies (38), with Xu tied for the most individual birdies in the field (11).
The final round of the Stephens Cup, along with the conclusion of round two, takes place on Tuesday. Once play is done, the teams will enter match play for the final day of the tournament, on Wednesday. Stanford must hold one of the top two spots to have a chance at defending its Stephens Cup title.
A trio of Stanford stars were at the top through the first 18 holes: Paula Martin Sampedro, Kelly Xu, and Caroline Sturdza were all under par, with Martin Sampedro and Xu at 2-under 70. They did so in different ways, with Xu leading the charge off the first tee. The Cardinal began play on the back nine, and Xu recorded five birdies during her first nine holes. Her teammates caught up to her on the front nine, with Martin Sampedro shooting 3-under and Sturdza matching that total, with four birdies.
Through the first round of competition, Stanford was sitting in third place with a 283, just four strokes back of South Carolina for the lead and three strokes behind Wake Forest for second.
Round two belonged to the Texas Longhorns, who raced out quickly to move from fourth to first place overall thanks to an impressive 276 in the second round. Stanford did not shoot poorly in the second round, with Megha Ganne improving from her some early struggles in the first round to go 3-under on the front nine. Ganne was 4-under through 15 before play was suspended due to darkness. Xu was able to finish her round and was 3-under 69 to improve by one stroke, while Martin Sampedro was 2-under through 16.
After the first day of competition, Stanford is tied with Wake Forest for the most birdies (38), with Xu tied for the most individual birdies in the field (11).
The final round of the Stephens Cup, along with the conclusion of round two, takes place on Tuesday. Once play is done, the teams will enter match play for the final day of the tournament, on Wednesday. Stanford must hold one of the top two spots to have a chance at defending its Stephens Cup title.
Stephens Cup (Trinity Forest Golf Club, par 72)
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Stanford University Athletics…