STANFORD, Calif. – The third-ranked Stanford women’s golf team opened the spring season on Sunday by placing second in the 21st Peg Barnard Invitational at Stanford Golf Course.
The defending national champion Cardinal finished with a 36-hole score of 6-over-par 574 (287-287), three strokes behind 12th-ranked Washington at 571 (291-280). The Huskies, who began the final round eight strokes behind leader Oregon, made a big final-day charge, shooting 4-under as a team.
"They played great," said Anne Walker, the Mitch and Margot ."Director of Women’s Golf. “We didn't do anything special. Our iron shots were not very crisp."
Washington made an early statement in the cool, cloudy conditions. Ying Luo and Wenyung Keh each birdied the first three holes to jumpstart the Huskies.
The sun-splashed back nine became a three team battle between Washington, Stanford and No. 21 Cal. The Huskies held a three-stroke advantage on the Cardinal with nine holes remaining.
Keh, a freshman from Auckland, New Zealand, birdied the 16th and 17th holes to shoot a tournament-best 5-under-par 66 and earned medalist honors at 4-under 138. Luo, a senior from Shenzchen, China, capped her round with a last-hole birdie and shot 69 to finish at 3-under 139 to share second with Stanford junior Casey Danielson, who carded an impressive bogey-free 69.
"Casey played terrific," Walker said. "Really happy the way she showed up and competed."
Stanford also received top 10’s from senior All-Americans Lauren Kim and Mariah Stackhouse. Kim shot consecutive rounds of 71 to finish at even-par 142 and tied for fourth, while Stackhouse posted 72-72-144 and tied for eighth at 2-over.
Junior Quirine Eijkenboom (74-75-149) tied for 23rd at 7-over 149, while sophomore Shannon Aubert (74-76-150) tied for 27th at 8-over.
Next up for Stanford is the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship, Sunday through Tuesday in New Orleans, Louisiana.