TULSA, Okla. – No. 12 Stanford moved up three spots into seventh Wednesday at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships held at the par-70 Tulsa Country Club. The Cardinal shot a 6-over 286 to move to 26-over for the four-day national event.
Three teams are ahead of Stanford in a tie for fourth at 24-over, and Oklahoma leads the 24-team field at 15-over.
The tournament continues Thursday with live results available at GoStanford.com.
“The conditions were definitely better and they favored us,” said Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women’s Golf Anne Walker. “We teed off the back nine when the wind was still gusting a bit, but then we came around the front and they definitely eased up on us, which was perfect timing.”
Stanford received a huge lift from Mariah Stackhouse and her 1-under 69. Stackhouse, who is tied for 18th, had four straight birdies to close her front nine. Stackhouse was feeling it with the putter early, but had a pair of bogeys during a 2-over back nine.
Four straight birdies by Stackhouse puts Stanford in a tie for second, three shots behind Oklahoma (+15). Nine holes remaining.
— Stanford W Golf (@StanfordWGolf) May 21, 2014
“I think I hit my irons and my approach shots a lot better today,” Stackhouse said. “I gave myself a lot more looks. After the round yesterday, I talked to Coach Walker. I told her I felt very uncomfortable with putting and standing over the ball. We did a little work, made no changes, she just helped me feel comfortable setting up over the ball and knowing that the ball is going to come off exactly where I aimed. So we worked on alignment a little bit, and it made a huge difference for the looks I had inside 15 feet.”
Lauren Kim carded a 1-over 71 one day after a 67 put her in a three-way tie for first. Kim is currently tied for second and three shots behind Oklahoma’s Alexandra Kaui and her 5-under showing.
Sand save for @laurenkim54 to stay at 1-over after this tee shot on the par-3 sixth. pic.twitter.com/zEFtyBFAht
— Stanford W Golf (@StanfordWGolf) May 21, 2014
Kim had what she called a boring round with nine pars on the front, a bogey on her 10th hole and eight more pars to close the door.
“It was kind of boring, just par after par after par, but I played consistently,” Kim said. “I had nothing really to complain about. I had a chance at a birdie on the last hole, but I missed it. Overall, it was a solid round. Just one mistake, but other than that, I like how I played.”
Casey Danielson was seven shots better than her opening round with a 72, including back-to-back birdies on holes six and seven. Danielson bogeyed four of the next five to finish at 2-over.
Five shots better than Tuesday’s opening round was Mariko Tumangan and her 74. The junior posted four birdies, highlighted by draining a breaking 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.
Marissa Mar was also five shots better than her first round with a 77. Mar birdied the par-4 fourth.