SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A showdown of Pac-12 Conference foes in the national quarterfinals lived up to the hype on Tuesday morning at Grayhawk Golf Club, as No. 8 seed Arizona edged out No. 1 seed Stanford in extra holes to claim a 3-2 win. The Cardinal had earned the No. 1 seed with a 13-stroke victory over four rounds of stroke play. Stanford is the only program in the country to qualify for match play all six years since the format began in 2015, claming one national title in 2015.
The dramatic match came down to the first group to go off on Tuesday morning, as Angelina Ye's birdie on No. 17 tied the match. On No. 18, Starkute would hit her second shot into a hazard and have to take a penalty drop, leaving the door open for Ye. However, Ye would need three putts on the large green and eventually bogey the hole to tie Starkute and send the match into extra holes. Playing No. 18 as the first playoff hole, both individuals found the green on their second shot. Ye was away and would put first, nearly dropping a 40-foot putt. Starkute then stepped up and drilled a 15-foot putt from the back of the green to clinch the match for the Wildcats.
Stanford had an impressive postseason run, led by Rachel Heck claiming individual crowns in the Pac-12, Regional and NCAA Championships. The Cardinal was the only program under par in any of the four Regionals, finishing 28-under, and was the only program under par during the NCAA Championships stroke play at 10-under. Match ResultsGile Bite Starkute (Arizona) def. Angelina Ye (Stanford), 19 holes
Vivian Hou (Arizona) def. Sadie Englemann (Stanford), 2&1
Brooke Seay (Stanford) def. Yu Chun Chang (Arizona), 4&3
YuSang Hou (Arizona) def. Aline Krauter (Stanford), 5&3
Rachel Heck (Stanford) def. Theresa Warner (Arizona), 3&2
