STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford women's golf team produced a record-breaking season in 2016-17, advancing to the final four of the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive year.
Led by All-Americans Casey Danielson, Andrea Lee and Albane Valenzuela, the Cardinal established program bests for wins (5), lowest 18-hole team score (12-under) and lowest 54-hole total on a par-72 course (16-under) at the Silverado Showdown in Napa, California. All five players broke par in the second round, another first.
Ranked No. 1 for most of the campaign, Stanford had a solid fall, registering two seconds and a third in three full-field starts. The Cardinal also won the consolation crown at the prestigious and nationally-televised East Lake Cup in Atlanta, a match play event featuring semifinalists from the 2016 NCAA Championships.
In the latter, Danielson and Lee each fired 4-under 68s in stroke play qualifying to tie for first. Lee, a highly-decorated freshman from Hermosa Beach, California, defeated Danielson, a senior from Osceola, Wisconsin, with a birdie on the sixth hole of a sudden death playoff to capture medalist honors.
Stanford started the spring season in impressive fashion by reeling off three consecutive victories at the Peg Barnard Invitational, Allstate Sugar Bowl intercollegiate and Bruin Wave invitational. The Cardinal added a wire-to-wire win at the Silverado Showdown in April, beating No. 5 UCLA by nine shots, then claimed its first outright NCAA Regional title in Albuquerque, New Mexico, beating runner up Duke by seven strokes to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the 25th straight year.
After earning the program's first NCAA title in 2015 and finishing second in 2016, Stanford made another strong push but came up just short at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The Cardinal finished second in the cold and rainy 54-hole stroke play portion, shortened from 72 holes due to inclement weather, to advance to the match play quarterfinals.
In a rematch of the 2015 national finals, Stanford rallied for a 3-2 victory against Baylor to secure a berth in the afternoon semifinals against Arizona State. The Cardinal surged to a 2-1 advantage and was leading and tied in the remaining matches when play was suspended by darkness after a lengthy lightning delay.
The following morning, the Sun Devils rallied for two sudden-death victories and scored a 3-2 triumph, as Stanford tied for third.
While disappointing, it didn't tarnish a remarkable season full of team and individual accomplishments. For the first time in program history, Lee was selected the PING/WGCA Freshman of the Year thanks to three individual wins and stellar all-around play. She was also a finalist for the PING/WGCA Player of the Year Award and the Honda Sport Award for Golf.
In her first collegiate start, Lee won the Windy City Collegiate Classic in Chicago with rounds of 68-71-67 to finish at 10-under 206, holing a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to earn a one-shot victory. She also prevailed at the East Lake Cup and Peg Barnard Invitational, fashioning 67-67 at Stanford Golf Course in the latter.
Lee established a freshman mark by averaging a team-best 71.62 scoring average, the second-lowest in Stanford history. She posted nine top 10 showings in 11 tournaments, including seven top 3s, and was a combined 13-under in 29 rounds, carding 10 rounds in the 60s.
Lee was the Cardinal's top performer in eight events and her sixth-place showing at the NCAA Championships ranked No. 6 in program history. A WGCA First Team All-American, she was also voted Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and All-Pac-12 First Team. Lee concluded the season ranked No. 3 in the nation and received the Stanford Block S Award for outstanding female freshman.
Danielson had a quietly spectacular season. She finished outside the top 20 just twice in 12 starts, amassed eight top 10s, and ranked second on the squad in scoring at 72.81, third-best by a senior. In addition to her runner-up showing at the East Lake Cup, Danielson garnered fourth at the Peg Bernard Invitational, and tied for third at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate and Bruin Wave Invitational.
Danielson was named a PING-WGCA Second Team All-American and All-Pac-12 First Team selection. She concluded her four-year Stanford career with a 73.40 scoring mark, the third-lowest in school history. Danielson went 2-0 at the NCAA's to improve her career postseason record to 7-1.
She also excelled off the course, becoming the first Cardinal to receive the Dinah Shore Award Trophy, presented to the top female collegiate player in the country who has made an impact through leadership and community service. A Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention pick, who compiled a 3.50 GPA while earning a public policy degree, Danielson picked up the Tom Cousins Award at the East Lake Cup for athletic accomplishment and community service. In addition, she was honored with the Donald Kennedy Award given by the Stanford Athletic Board to a student-athlete who best exhibits the combination of excellence in academics, athletics and community service.
Valenzuela joined the Cardinal from Geneva, Switzerland, and overcame injuries to finish strong. She scored her first collegiate victory at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional with rounds of 71-69-70 to finish at 6-under 210.
It was one of six top 10s on the season for Valenzuela, who took third at the Pac-12 Preview, tied for third at the Bruin Wave Invitational, and tied for 10th at the NCAA Championships. She averaged 73.21 – third all-time by a Stanford freshman -- and was chosen a PING/WGCA Second Team All-American and All-Pac-12 First Team pick.
Danielson and Valenzuela were selected to the WGCA All-American Scholar team.
Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf, used nearly a dozen different lineups from a deep and talented roster. She also received key contributions from junior Shannon Aubert, freshman Madie Chou, sophomore Sierra Kersten and senior Jisoo Keel.