SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Stanford's quest to reach the finals of the NCAA Women's Golf Championships for the third straight year came up short Wednesday morning at chilly and overcast Rich Harvest Farms.
The No. 2 seeded Cardinal fell in the semifinals to No. 3 seed Arizona State, 3-2, and tied for third out of 24 competing teams.This, after winning in 2015 and finishing second last year.
"I couldn't be prouder of my players," said Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf. "They played their hearts out and it could have gone either way. Hats off to ASU."
In the afternoon, the Sun Devils won their eighth NCAA title by beating Northwestern, 3-1-1.
Stanford held a 2-1 lead Tuesday night and seemed poised to adcance when play was suspended due to darkness. Freshman Albane Valenzuela had a 1-up lead against Monica Vaughn after 17 holes, and fellow frosh Madie Chou was all square against Linnea Strom after 16 holes.
But the momentum shifted overnight.
Valenzuela and Vaughn resumed play from the fairway at the par-5 18th fairway, where they had hit good drives. Both played short of the green and Valenzuela applied pressure on Vaughn, who claimed the NCAA stroke play title Monday, by wedging her third shot 15 feet from the hole.
Vaughn responded by lipping out her eagle chip and was left with a tap-in birdie. Valenzuela gave her match-winning birdie attempt a bold run but couldn't convert, so the battle was all square and moved to the first hole for a sudden death playoff. Vaughn parred to earn a point.
That left it up to Chou, the No. 5 player, versus the long-hitting Strom, a sophomore and 2017 First Team All-American. Chou made a courageous par save at 17 with a 15 foot putt to stay even, then had a chance to win at 18 but came up just short on a 12-foot birdie attempt. Strong sunk a five-foot par putt to extend the match.
On the first hole of sudden death, Chou missed the green left and failed to get up and down over a bunker to a tight pin. Strom hit a nice approach and two-putted for par to win the match and send Arizona State into the afternoon finals against Northwestern, who edged USC, 3-2.
"Nothing really changed," Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf said of the overnight suspension of play. "Monica just hit a phenomenal chip and it probably should have gone in."
Walker's team won a school record five tournaments this season and was close on and off the course. She must replace senior All-American Casey Danielson, who compiled a 7-1 match play record in three NCAA Championships, but the nucleus of the squad returns.
"These girls are something special," she said. "The biggest takeaway is that we played with three freshmen and they played great. We will miss Casey, and need to sharpen our short games. But the future is bright."
NCAA Championships
Semifinals
Arizona State 3, Stanford 2
Shannon Aubert (S) def. Roberta Liti (ASU), 4 and 3
Olivia Mehaffey (ASU) def. Andrea Lee (S), 2 and 1
Casey Danielson (S) def. Sophia Zeeb (ASU), 3 and 2
Monica Vaughn (ASU) def. Albane Valenzuela (S), 19th
Linnea Strom (ASU) def. Madie Chou (S), 19th
