LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Stanford men's golf opened the NCAA Las Vegas Regional at Bear's Best firing a 20-under 268 on Monday to sit in second after 18 holes. The Cardinal was led by Michael Thorbjornsen's (9-under 63) and Ethan Ng's (8-under 64) career-best rounds.
Arizona State owns the team lead at 26-under and the cut line currently sits at 12-under, with the top five teams making it to NCAA Championships following the conclusion of 54 holes of play on Wednesday.
Thorbjornsen sits in second, just one stroke behind ASU's Preston Summerhays. Thorbjornsen had 10 birdies on Monday, tied for most in the 75-player field. The 9-under 63 was tied for the fifth-lowest 18-hole mark in program history. His previous best round was an 8-under 64 at the 2022 Amer Ari Invitational. Thorbjornsen is 24-under over his last five rounds after winning the Pac-12 Championship at 15-under.
Ng is tied for third following his career-best 8-under 64. His previous low round was a 6-under 65 at the 2021 Saint Mary's Invitational. Ng had eight birdies on the day, tied for third-most in the tournament, and also added an eagle. He was 5-under on both the Par 4s and Par 5s, each mark tied for second-best in the field.
As a team, Stanford's 20-under was its best round ever at an NCAA Regional. The Cardinal led the 14-team field on the Par 4s at 10-under and was also an impressive 13-under on the Par 5s. Stanford's 37 pars were the fewest in the tournament Monday, but its 36 birdies were six more than its next closest competitor.
The Cardinal will play with Arizona State and Virginia during Tuesday's second round, which tees off beginning at 7:30 a.m. off the first hole.
NCAA Las Vegas Regional (Bear's Best Las Vegas, par 72)
| Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2. Stanford | 268 (-20) | -- | -- | 268 (-20) |
| 2. Michael Thorbjornsen | 63 (-9) | -- | -- | 63 (-9) |
| T3. Ethan Ng | 64 (-8) | -- | -- | 64 (-8) |
| T33. Barclay Brown | 70 (-2) | -- | -- | 70 (-2) |
| T42. Karl Vilips | 71 (-1) | -- | -- | 71 (-1) |
| T55. Nate Menon | 73 (+1) | -- | -- | 73 (+1) |