LOS ALTOS, Calif. — Top-ranked Stanford women’s golf made the short trip to Los Altos Golf & Country Club for this year’s Battle of the Bay against San Jose State. After pulling ahead with a couple of early points, the Spartans finished strong, winning the final four matches to earn a 4-2 win over the Cardinal.
The first point for the Cardinal came via Meja Örtengren, who never trailed in her match against Regina Roldan. Örtengren posted four birdies in 16 holes, including three in her final five holes that helped put away the match. She also took advantage of consecutive bogeys from Roldan on 10 and 11, followed by a birdie on 12, to take a four-hole lead onto 14. She closed out a 4&2 win on 16 with her fourth birdie of the round.
Shortly thereafter, Stanford earned a second point when Kelly Xu defeated Moa Andersson 4&3. Xu and Andersson were level through four, but Xu won the next three holes, which included a birdie on five. From there, the lead stayed steady between two and three holes, and Xu finished it with a birdie on 15. In 15 holes, Xu went over par just once.
That would be the final point Stanford earned on Monday, however. Andrea Revuelta and Kleopatra Kozakiewicz had a back-and-forth match that went all the way to end. Kozakiewicz never led until she won 17, and then the two halved the final hole to secure a 1up victory for Kozakiewicz. Back on 14, Lotte Schuhr made quick work of Megha Ganne, finishing with a 6&4 decision.
It came down to Anna Song and Paula Martín Sampedro, and both made their matches closer than they appeared earlier in the day. Martín Sampedro was three holes down through 11, but then won consecutive holes to move one down heading to the tee box on 14. That was a critical hole, as Martín Sampedro birdied, but Isabela Cioe did as well to keep a 1up advantage. That margin held until 17, when Cioe nearly holed out from outside the green to win the hole and secure a 2&1 victory.
By that point, the Spartans had secured the match, as Song was playing 18 against Ting-Yu Chang, but was trailing by one hole going into 18, and Stanford needed a win on that hole to force a tie in the team score. Song was four holes down heading to 14 but proceeded to win three consecutive holes, including a long birdie putt on the par-3 15th hole. The up-and-down day for the freshman included four birdies, but Chang had six.
Stanford will return to action on March 23-24 for the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cardinal won the event last year, and this year’s field figures to hold several ranked teams. It is the final full-field stroke play tournament for Stanford prior to the ACC Championship on April 16-19.
San Jose State 4, #1 Stanford 2
- Kleopatra Kozakiewicz (SJSU) def. Andrea Revuelta (STAN), 1up
- Meja Örtengren (STAN) def. Regina Roldan (SJSU), 4&2
- Kelly Xu (STAN) def. Moa Andersson (SJSU), 4&3
- Ting-Yu Chang (SJSU) def. Anna Song (STAN), 2up
- Lotte Schuhr (SJSU) def. Megha Ganne (STAN), 6&4
- Isabella Cioe (SJSU) def. Paula Martín Sampedro (STAN), 2&1
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1, 5, 6, 4*