The expectations were sky-high for Stanford women’s golf entering the 2021-22 season. The Cardinal was coming off a strong, albeit shortened, spring 2021 season that saw freshman Rachel Heck win the individual NCAA title and every major national award. Oh, and welcome to campus world No. 1-ranked amateur Rose Zhang, a player many thought should and would turn pro before entering college. But the allure of the college experience, especially at Stanford, brought Zhang to campus and kickstarted a magical season. But it wasn’t a season that was without challenges.
Despite featuring a roster that included six players ranked inside the World Amateur Golf Rankings Top 75 on any given week, the Cardinal was forced to play many different lineups throughout the course of the season.
Junior Brooke Seay missed the season-opening Molly Intercollegiate and the Windy City Collegiate the next week. Heck missed The Molly and the Pac-12 Preview in the fall. In fact, four Cardinal missed the Pac-12 Preview – Heck, Zhang, Rebecca Becht and Caroline Sturdza – to play in the Spirit International. Despite all of the lineup uncertainty, the Cardinal won four times in four tries during the fall. Bring on the chase for a perfect season!
Zhang was everything she was expected to be from the moment she stepped on campus, winning each of her first three starts. She was the first Stanford golfer – man or woman – to accomplish that feat. That’s right, not even Tiger Woods.
The spring would bring its own set of challenges, including local rival San Jose State besting Stanford twice in a three-tournament stretch to begin the spring. By the way, the Spartans were legit. The Cardinal was also challenged by Pac-12 foe Oregon, who arguably had the best spring in the country. The Ducks won their first Pac-12 Championship on their home course.
In its first six spring tournaments, the unbeatable Cardinal won just once. However, that one win was memorable. Record setting. Inspiring. Playing in the Gunrock Invitational at Del Paso Country Club, the Cardinal set an NCAA record with a 54-hole score of 50-under (814). That tournament featured rounds of 23-, 11- and 16-under as Heck set a new school record at 18-under to claim her second straight victory, and eighth of her career in less than one full calendar year.
Despite an imperfect spring, Stanford traveled to NCAA Championships and Grayhawk Golf Club as…
Junior Brooke Seay missed the season-opening Molly Intercollegiate and the Windy City Collegiate the next week. Heck missed The Molly and the Pac-12 Preview in the fall. In fact, four Cardinal missed the Pac-12 Preview – Heck, Zhang, Rebecca Becht and Caroline Sturdza – to play in the Spirit International. Despite all of the lineup uncertainty, the Cardinal won four times in four tries during the fall. Bring on the chase for a perfect season!
Zhang was everything she was expected to be from the moment she stepped on campus, winning each of her first three starts. She was the first Stanford golfer – man or woman – to accomplish that feat. That’s right, not even Tiger Woods.
The spring would bring its own set of challenges, including local rival San Jose State besting Stanford twice in a three-tournament stretch to begin the spring. By the way, the Spartans were legit. The Cardinal was also challenged by Pac-12 foe Oregon, who arguably had the best spring in the country. The Ducks won their first Pac-12 Championship on their home course.
In its first six spring tournaments, the unbeatable Cardinal won just once. However, that one win was memorable. Record setting. Inspiring. Playing in the Gunrock Invitational at Del Paso Country Club, the Cardinal set an NCAA record with a 54-hole score of 50-under (814). That tournament featured rounds of 23-, 11- and 16-under as Heck set a new school record at 18-under to claim her second straight victory, and eighth of her career in less than one full calendar year.
Despite an imperfect spring, Stanford traveled to NCAA Championships and Grayhawk Golf Club as…
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