May 22, 2013
NCAA Championships Round 2 Results 
ATHENS, Ga. - Stanford posted an even-par 288 to move into a tie for fifth after the second round of the NCAA D1 Women's Golf Championships on Wednesday at the University of Georgia Golf Course.
After yesterday’s 290, the No. 10 (Golfweek) Cardinal came back two strokes back and moved up two spots, tying with No. 7 Purdue (289-289) at two-over 578 overall.
No. 1 USC (284-276), who opened at a tie for first, became the lone leader on the 24-team field at 560 (-16). No. 2 Alabama (288-284) took second with 572, while No. 3 Duke (286-289) checked in third at 575. In the fourth spot was No. 6 UCLA (289-287).
Freshman Mariah Stackhouse shot a four-under-par 68 for the team's low of the day and moved into fifth at 140 (-4) on the individual leaderboard.
“There was no doubt there that she was going to have a low round today,” said Anne Walker, Stanford’s Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women’s Golf. “I felt like she was motivated before the round. In looking at some of the scores, she saw that there were some low numbers out there and I think she went out with that mentality. Mariah is a player who plays with a number in her head. Before she tees off, she sets a number that she thinks will put her in the hunt.”
Stackhouse, who opened with a 72, made five birdies and a single bogey today. The Riverdale, Ga., native teed off the 10th hole for a birdie and went three under at the turn after birdies on 16 and 18. Through the back, she birdied the second but followed with a bogey on the third. Another birdie on the seventh capped a solid round.
“My goal for today was six birdies with as few bogeys as possible,” said Stackhouse who hit 11 fairways, 15 greens and made 29 putts. “I definitely felt confident about my round from the start, so I was able to play with aggression.”
“Number seven is a great opportunity for birdie, as well as six and eight, so after my bogey on five I wasn’t too worried,” Stackhouse continued. “With a good drive on seven, you can possibly reach the green in two or have a short chip shot in.”
For Mariko Tumangan, who shared the first-round low score of 71 with Lauren Kim, this round comprised of 16 pars. Tumangan birdied the 10th and bogeyed the fourth for a 72, tying for 16th at 143 (-1) overall.
“My patience was definitely tested today,” Tumangan said. “I had so many birdie opportunities but the putts weren’t dropping so hopefully tomorrow they will be. I did make some great par saves at the end of my round.”
“After two rounds and the practice round, I feel like I know the layout of the golf course much better now—where the better misses are and the right places on the green are. I have more accurate targets and have a better feel for the greens for the next two days.”
As with Kim, 16 pars marked her round, plus bogeys on the third and fifth holes that pushed her three strokes back for a 75. The freshman is tied for 29th at 146.
“I think sometimes it’s harder to play when you’re having so many pars,” Walker said. “When you have a round where you’re making a couple birdies and a couple of bogeys, you’re kind of just gunning for a birdie. But when you’re so steady like Lauren can be and you miss a green like she did on her 12th, it kind of shakes you up a little bit. I do think it shook her up a little bit, and then coming into her 13th she blew her first putt by eight feet, made the comeback but going into the next hole I truly think that was a patience situation.”
On Kim’s last hole and last putts, the horn blew warning of lightning. After a two-hour delay, Kim went back on the course to par the ninth.
“Today, having a late tee time, we knew we could expect a delay,” Walker continued. “We just know it’s part of golf, so you just hang out and be patient until your time comes. When you come off the course, you really come off the golf course. You don’t think about the round. You take a break and chat, listen to music, do something else to get your mind away, and then when it’s time to go you re-warm up and re-prepare like it’s the first shot of the day again.”
Going three strokes better, Sally Watson fired a 73. At the turn she was three over, but she came back with birdies on the second and fourth holes to return one over, moving into a tie for 60th at 149.
Rounding out the lineup is Danielle Frasier (84-76) who finished eight strokes better. The junior tied for 123rd at 160.
“Yesterday we were very happy with two over,” Walker said. “Today we came out here feeling like if we shot two over again we’d be happy. We certainly had it going, I saw that, and we were three under for a long time and that had us in third at one point. We’re in fifth, we’re happy with fifth. Only half this tournament is done. There’s a lot of golf left and we just have to keep being patient. Patience is going to be the big key in the next two days. Players are starting to get tired. The weather, it’s hot. The course is just going to get more and more difficult.”
Six teams did not complete Wednesday’s second round and will return to the course on Thursday morning at 7:25 a.m. (ET) to restart and complete that round.
Stanford tees off the first hole at 12:03 p.m. (ET) with UCLA and Purdue.
“Tomorrow I’m going to try to post another good round but play within myself and not get too far ahead,” Stackhouse said. “With two more rounds, I just want another good number to keep myself in contention.”
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