EUGENE, Ore. – Stanford produced another solid effort Sunday in the third round of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships at Eugene Country Club.
First off in chilly, drizzly conditions, the Cardinal posted a four-player score of 2-over 290 and sits alone in fifth place. Stanford has a 54-hole total of 4-over 468 and will be one of 15 teams advancing to the final round of medal play on Monday. The top eight teams qualify for match play on Tuesday.
USC, which shared the Stanford Regional Championship crown with the Cardinal, leads at 4-under 860. UCLA and Duke are second at 862, followed by Washington at 866.
Stanford is two strokes ahead of sixth-place Oregon.
“We have the same mentality every day,” Anne Walker, the Milias Director of Women’s Golf said. “Take one spot of eight. If we shake out the day having one of the eight top scores, we achieved our goal.”
Stanford was led for the second consecutive day by senior Mariah Stackhouse. After shooting a 3-under 69 on Saturday, she came back with a 70 on Sunday. Stackhouse was stellar on the back nine, recording birdies at the par-3 11th from just off the green, the par-5 15th and par-3 16th to shoot 3-under 32.
“Doesn’t surprise any of us,” said Walker of her three-time All-American. “She’s trending in the right direction and feeling really confident.”
Stackhouse stuck to her plan of playing smart, patient golf and took few chances on the sprawling, tree-lined 6,331-yard course, made longer by the damp conditions.
“It wasn’t a lights-out day,” she said. “Not many mistakes and just good, solid golf. Just trying to take my mind completely off the score and give myself some opportunities.”
Stackhouse is tied for 27th with teammate Shannon Aubert at 2-over 218. Aubert, a sophomore, shot even-par 72 for the second straight day, recording three birdies and three bogeys.
“The pins were in really tough positions today, so it was really hard to get any good looks at birdie,” said Aubert. “I made a few mistakes but overall was pretty good on the damage control side.”
Junior Casey Danielson remains Stanford’s individual leader after posting a 2-over 74. She finished with two birdies and four bogeys and is tied for 12th at 1-under 215.
Senior All-American Lauren Kim shot 74 and is tied for 45th. She had one birdie and three bogeys.
Freshman Sierra Kersten added 75 and is tied for 100th at 11-over 227.
Stanford could have a bigger cushion, but faltered on the challenging 400-yard par-4 18th hole, which plays slightly uphill into the wind and features a mammoth green. The team played it 4-over Friday and 3-over Sunday.
“That’s what we just talked about in our team meeting,” said Walker. “Disappointed to let those shots go at the end. At the same time, this is a really tough finishing hole and I don’t know that we’ll be the only team to lose a shot or two.”
With four of five players competing from last year’s NCAA title-winning team, Stanford understands the task at hand.
“I think we’re going to have to come out here tomorrow and play good golf,” said Stackhouse. “The scores are really close. It’s been hard for any teams to separate themselves from the field. A 3 or 4-over score on 18 is not going to cut it.”
Virginia Elena Carta of Duke is the individual leader at 13-under 203.
Stanford begins play Monday at 12:10 p.m. and is paired with Oregon and Washington.
For live scoring, visit GoStanford.com.