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Men's Golf by Cameron McClarren

Match Play Bound

No. 15 Stanford advances in four-team playoff to Tuesday's match play quarterfinals

CARLSBAD, Calif. — For the first time since the title-winning 2019 season, No. 15 Stanford men’s golf is back in the NCAA Championship Match Play Quarterfinals as the Cardinal finished up the fourth round of stroke play on Monday. Stanford, which shot 4-under on the final day to finish the tournament at 2-under, advanced out of a four-team playoff for the final two spots in Tuesday’s match play bout.

Having been tied for 12th entering the afternoon, Stanford turned in its best performance in the final round as three Cardinal shot at par or better. Dean Greyserman led the way for the Cardinal but late round heroics up and down the lineup provided the spark for Stanford to stay in the hunt. 

Rifling off his best round at the NCAA Championships in his career, Dean Greyserman finished off the stroke play portion in brilliant fashion, earning his third-straight under-par round with a 4-under, 68 card. The senior amassed four of his eventual six birdies of the day through the front-nine before serving as Stanford’s anchor to end the round, earning a par on a daunting 605-yard hole 18. 

Greyserman, who entered the day just outside the top 10, moved well into it on Sunday as his 4-under card brought him to 9-under for the tournament which was his third-lowest tournament score of the season. Greyserman finished the stroke play format tied for sixth after earning his second round in the 60s of the tournament while earning Stanford's highest individual placement since Barclay Brown finished tied-4th in 2023. 

Also shooting well for the Cardinal, Ethan Gao turned in his best round of the tournament at the right time, avenging two over-par rounds earlier this weekend with a clinical 1-under, 71 on Monday. Gao, who slotted back into the lineup for the Cardinal on Sunday, tallied two birdies on the afternoon with none bigger than his 20-plus foot putt on hole 18 that kept Stanford tied for the final match play spot. 

Gao was one of three Cardinal to birdie on 18 to keep Stanford in contention along with Jay Leng and Nathan Wang. Leng, who earned an even-par outing on Monday, tallied three birdies including the dagger on 18 while Wang ended his day with sandwiched birdies on holes 16 and 18 in an up-and-down round for the senior. Leng ended the tournament at 4-over and tied for 49th in his first NCAA Championships while Wang placed tied for 75th. 

Bringing a strong youthful presence, Edan Cui was the final scorer for the Cardinal as the freshman turned in a 1-over, 73. Cui earned one birdie on the day - a three on the par-four hole 11 - as his 1-over performance on Monday brought him to even-par for the tournament. 

With Stanford having tied fellow group members Tennessee during the round, both squads found themselves in the midst of a four-team playoff following stroke play at 2-under for the tournament. Having been bounced three years ago in playoff fashion, Stanford avenged its 2023 playoff decision by taking the top spot in the playoff on Monday. With five golfers spread across five holes, It was Greyserman’s seventh birdie of the day - and his fourth of the tournament on hole 18 - that clinched the playoff for the Cardinal as Stanford stayed even across the board, earning the final match play spot via a drop-score tiebreak with UCLA. 

Stanford is back in action tomorrow morning as the Cardinal takes on the No. 1-seed Auburn Tigers in the Match Play Quarterfinals. Nathan Wang tees off first for Stanford from hole 10 at 7:40 a.m. PT.