CARLSBAD, Calif. - Stanford captured its fourth NCAA women's golf championship, and third in five years, by beating USC in dominant fashion, 3-0, at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on Wednesday.
In her final round of college golf, Megha Ganne sank a short par putt on the 15th hole to clinch it for Stanford with a 4&3 victory over Bailey Shoemaker.
The result was a fitting end to arguably one of the most dominant seasons in the sport’s history and came 11 years to the day of the program’s first championship in 2015.
“I was totally soaking in the moment,” Ganne said of her round. “These girls are so easy to play for, and I just gave it my all. My teammates embody every part of the game that I love and value. They have so much integrity, so much hard work, so much compassion and a genuine value for team golf in a world where golf is so individual. I think that environment is so rare and I’m so happy to be a part of it. It shows what teamwork can do.”
The Cardinal's four titles (2026, 2024, 2022, 2015) are now the third-most in the history of the sport, trailing Arizona State's eight and Duke's seven. The only team to win multiple NCAA titles since the switch to a match play format in 2015, Stanford is the first women’s golf dynasty (three titles in five years) since Duke won three straight from 2005-07.
Paula Martín Sampedro and Meja Örtengren played bogey-free golf to secure for the first two points for the Cardinal. Sampedro beat Catherine Park 3&2 and Örtengren was a big winner over Jasmine Koo 6&5.
“We’ve been so laser focused on this moment,” said Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf Anne Walker. “Today when [the team] came out they were calm, collected and focused on what they were trying to accomplish.”
Walker has led the Cardinal to all four NCAA titles, which ranks third overall among active Stanford head coaches and trails only John Tanner of women's water polo (10) and Thom Glielmi of men's gymnastics (8).
Stanford now owns 139 NCAA team championships (71 men, 68 women) and 178 national championships overall. This is the Cardinal’s second NCAA team championship of the 2025-26 campaign following its men's gymnastics title on April 18, which extended the department's streak to 50 straight years with at least once NCAA team title. Stanford has won multiple NCAA championships in each of the past 12 years (since 2014-15).
“They have so much respect for one another and are so mature,” Walker said of this season’s stacked roster. “They understand that the person on either side of them is one of the best players in the world and that only helps elevate them. There’s no competition or jealousy. They just want to elevate one another on the biggest stage. I’m always so proud of that.”
NCAA Championship: No. 1 Stanford def. No. 2 USC, 3-0
- Paula Martín Sampedro (STAN) def. Catherine Park (USC), 3&2
- Kylie Chong (USC) led Andrea Revuelta (STAN), 1up thru 17
- Meja Örtengren (STAN) def. Jasmine Koo (USC), 6&5
- Kelly Xu (STAN) led Elise Lee (USC), 1up thru 16
- Megha Ganne (STAN) def. Bailey Shoemaker (USC), 4&3