SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Stanford women's golf battled on Friday during the first round of the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club, finishing tied for seventh at even-par 288 after 18 holes. The field, as expected, is tight, as just six strokes separate third place from the cut line. Wake Forest (-9) and Oklahoma State (-8) had the rounds of the day to jump out to the lead, but Stanford sits just two shots back of third, which Georgia and South Carolina share at 2-under 286.
Freshman Megha Ganne fired the Cardinal's best round of the day with a 4-under 68. Stanford started Friday's round off the back and Ganne was even at the turn, but four straight birdies from holes 4-7 set her up to finish the day tied for third.
Junior Sadie Englemann continues her strong campaign and is tied for 21st following her 1-under 71. She was 1-over at the turn, but an eagle on the Par-5 fourth hole aided her strong finish.
2022 national champion Rose Zhang opened with an even-par 72 and is tied for 36th, while freshman Kelly Xu finished with birdies on two of her final three holes to finish at 5-over 77.
Rachel Heck, playing in her first competitve round since Oct. 23 at the Stanford Intercollegiate, returned to the Cardinal lineup for the first time following an early-March surgery.
As a team, Stanford's four counting scorers closed at 8-under over the final six holes of the day to climb back to its even-par finish.
The Cardinal goes off early on Saturday morning, beginning its round at 6:10 a.m. off the first hole. Stanford will once again play with Wake Forest and LSU. Following Sunday's round, the field will be cut from 30 teams to 15 teams and the top nine individuals not on the advancing teams.
NCAA Championships (Grayhawk Golf Club, par 72)
| Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Stanford | 288 (E) | -- | -- | -- | 288 (E) |
| T3. Megha Ganne | 68 (-4) | -- | -- | -- | 68 (-4) |
| T21. Sadie Englemann | 71 (-1) | -- | -- | -- | 71 (-1) |
| T36. Rose Zhang | 72 (E) | -- | -- | -- | 72 (E) |
| T117. Kelly Xu | 77 (+5) | -- | -- | -- | 77 (+5) |
| T151. Rachel Heck | 82 (+10) | -- | -- | -- | 82 (+10) |