CARLSBAD, Calif. — The 2026 NCAA Championship began on Friday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, with top-ranked Stanford teeing off in the afternoon wave. After struggling in the opening round one year ago before finding their footing, Stanford was much improved in the first 18 this time around, finishing one stroke back of the lead as a team when play concluded, with Megha Ganne tied for the individual lead
Last year, Stanford began the NCAA Championship in a tie for 11th at 5-over after the first round but still finished stroke play as the top overall seed. This year, the Cardinal is in a much better position, shooting a solid 6-under as a team (282), trailing only No. 2 USC by one stroke. No. 21 Oklahoma State, who teed off in the morning, shot 5-under to finish third. It’s very early, but the cut line for the top 15 teams in the field sits at +2, meaning Stanford has an early eight-stroke cushion.
Every week, a different Stanford golfer seems to take the top spot. Friday, it was Ganne’s turn to return to the spotlight. After a quiet spring season, the senior was entered fifth in Stanford’s lineup but turned in one of her best rounds of the spring. She was bogey-free until her final hole of the day, finishing with a 68 (-4), tying her for the individual lead after 18 holes. In the two times Ganne has finished tenth at the NCAA Championship, her best opening round score was 72.
Last year, Stanford didn’t have a single golfer under par in the opening round. This year, the Cardinal had three. Behind Ganne, Meja Örtengren had the next best round with a 70 (-2) on Friday afternoon. Like Ganne, her round was nearly flawless, with a lone bogey on 13 to prevent a clean scorecard. She was very consistent on the front nine, going 1-under with no bogeys on that side, the only Cardinal without a bogey over the final nine holes. Örtengren overcame a 77 in last year’s opening round to finish tenth overall, just ahead of where she sits on Friday (tied for 12th).
The other Stanford golfer to finish under par was Kelly Xu, who finished third at last year’s NCAA Championship. She has herself in a good position after 18 holes with a 71 (-1) in the opening round. Her opening nine holes were clean with a pair of birdies before she struggled at the turn, with bogeys on holes 1 and 3. She rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 hole 6 to eventually land at 1-under and in a tie for 24th.
Stanford tees off at 6:30 am on Saturday before the field re-seeds on Sunday for the third round of stroke play. If Stanford holds its current position, the Cardinal will once again tee off at 6:30 am on Sunday morning. Babygrande Golf is providing live coverage of Saturday’s second round.
2026 NCAA Championship (Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, par 72)
| Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2. Stanford | 282 (-6) | -- | -- | 282 (-6) |
| T1. Megha Ganne | 68 (-4) | -- | -- | 68 (-4) |
| T13. Meja Örtengren | 70 (-2) | -- | -- | 70 (-2) |
| T24. Kelly Xu | 71 (-1) | -- | -- | 71 (-1) |
| T60. Paula Martín Sampedro | 73 (+1) | -- | -- | 73 (+1) |
| T100. Andrea Revuelta | 75 (+3) | -- | -- | 75 (+3) |