Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Stanford sends 6 players to the Golf Club of Geogria Collegiate


Teams and Stanford players - click to enlarge
FINAL RESULTS - by GoStanford.com
Stanford Men's Golf finished the weekend in sixth place at The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invite, firing a final round 287 (-1) to finish with a three-round total of 873 (+9). The Cardinal bested host and No. 1 Georgia Tech, No. 13 North Carolina, No. 15 Clemson, No. 27 East Tennessee State, No. 29 Tennessee, No. 30 Southern California, TCU and Virginia on the weekend. No. 10 Duke won the event with a 2-under 862.
 
"I was proud of how our guys hung in there and battled all tournament long," The Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf Conrad Ray said. "Yesterday (Saturday) was one of the toughest college golf days I've had in my career, weather-wise, so I was proud of our guys and the fact that we had a chance to contend today. We definitely have some work to do, but I like what I'm seeing from a very balanced group. It was great to see Nate Menon and Ethan Ng collect top 25 finishes this weekend."

Top 9 team finishes and final round scorecards - click to enlarge
Stanford scoring - click to enlarge
6. Stanford (+9, 283-303-287=873)
T24. Ethan Ng (+3, 73-76-70=219)
Fired a 2-under 70 on Sunday to finish the tournament at a 3-over 219 … made three birdies on the front nine, mixed with six pars … made eight pars and a bogey on the back nine … was tied for best in the field with a 2.92 scoring average on par 3s during the weekend.
 
T24. Nate Menon (+3, 73-76-70=219)
Mirrored Ng with a final-round 2-under 70 to finish with a 3-over 219 … was tied for third in the field with a 3.00 scoring average on the par 3s … made five birdies on Sunday against three bogeys … birdied holes No. 1, 6, 10, 14 and 18.
 
T35. David Snyder (+5, 67-82-72=221)
Shot an even-par 72 on Sunday … was three-over through 10 holes, but would birdie three of the next five holes before finishing with three straight pars to get back to even.
 
T44. Henry Shimp (+6, 72-75-75=222)
Made one birdie against four bogeys in Sunday's round.
 
T44. Daulet Tuleubayev (+6, 71-76-75=222)
Birdied two of the first six holes, but two doubles on the back nine set him back … had a 3.97 scoring average on the par 4s and played the par 5s at 4-under on the weekend.
 
Individuals:
T66. Ashwin Arasu (+13, 81-73-75=229)
Started on the back nine and went in at 5-over … bounced back nicely, beginning the front nine with three birdies in the first five holes to shoot 2-under on the front and finish the day with a 3-over 75.
 
The Cardinal led the field on the weekend with 180 pars and played the par 5s at 12-under on the weekend, fourth best in the field. Stanford is back in action next Monday and Tuesday when they host the Cypress Point Classic at Cypress Point Club.


ROUND TWO RESULTS - by GoStanford.com
ALPHARETTA, Georgia – In driving rain and cold temperatures with gusts up to 23 MPH at The Golf Club of Georgia, Stanford shot a 15-over 303 on Saturday and sits in sixth entering Sunday's final round. Stanford is 10-over as a team and sits just 11 strokes back of the leader, Duke, who is 1-under for the weekend.

Team Scoring - click to enlarge
Stanford scorecards - click to enlarge

6. Stanford (+10, 283, 303)
T25. Henry Shimp (+3, 72-75)
Had one of the Cardinal's best rounds on Saturday at 3-over … made 15 pars and three bogeys … will tee off at 7:39 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 
T25. Daulet Tuleubayev (+3, 71-76)
Was 4-over for the day on Saturday with three birdies … was even-par on the front nine … conditions worsened on the back nine with two doubles, a birdie and a bogey … tees off at 7:28 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 
T37. David Snyder (+5, 67-82)
Conditions made for a tough round on Saturday finishing with an 82 … will tee off at 7:17 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 
T37. Ethan Ng (+5, 73-76)
Shot 4-over on Saturday with three birdies against seven bogeys … will tee off at 7:06 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 
T37. Nate Menon (+5, 73-76)
Started the round strong with birdies on the first two holes … finished the front nine even par and was 4-over on the back nine … will tee off at 6:55 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 
Individuals:
T63. Ashwin Arasu (+10, 81-73)
Teed off early Saturday and had the Cardinal's best round … was just one over with three birdies and moved up to a tie for 63 … will tee off at 6:20 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 

The Cardinal begins the final round of The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invite on Sunday at 6:55 a.m. PT.  All five will tee off the first hole with individual Ashwin Arasu going off No. 10. At 6:20 a.m. PT.

ROUND ONE RESULTS - by GoStanford.com
ALPHARETTA, Georgia – Senior David Snyder is tied for first following a five-under 67 in the first round of The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invite on Friday, pacing the Cardinal to a second-place standing on day one. Stanford shot a 5-under 283 and only trails No. 9 Pepperdine (-12, 276).

Team standings and Stanford scorecards from round one shown below - click on image to enlarge:
Round one scoring - click on image to enlarge

2. Stanford (-5, 283)
T1. David Snyder (-5, 67)
Made six birdies against one bogey … started the round with birdies on each of the first three holes … birdied No. 7 and No. 12 … bogeyed No. 17 before finishing with a birdie on No. 18 … will tee off at 8:34 a.m. PT on Saturday.
 
T16. Daulet Tuleubayev (-1, 71)
Played the front nine at one over and the back nine at two under … made birdie on the first hole, but then bogeyed holes three, four and six around a birdie at five … made five straight pars before another birdie at 12 … finished with a birdie at 18 to finish one under for the day … begins his second round on Saturday at 8:01 a.m. PT.
 
T22. Henry Shimp (E, 72)
Was one over on the front nine and one under on the back nine for an even-par 72 … made four birdies on the day … after a bogey at 10, finished with two birdies and six pars to close the round, including a birdie to finish on 18 … will tee off at 8:23 a.m. PT on Saturday.
 
T33. Ethan Ng (+1, 73)
Made 16 pars, a birdie and a double in the first round on Friday … his birdie came on No. 8 before he closed with 10 straight pars … will tee off at 8:12 a.m. PT on Saturday to begin the second round.
 
T33. Nate Menon (+1, 73)
Was consistent throughout the first round with 17 pars and one bogey … tees off at 7:50 a.m. PT on Saturday.
 
Individuas:
76. Ashwin Arasu (+9, 81)
Started his day on the back nine, but ended his first nine with a birdie on 18 … also made a birdie on No. 9, his final hole of the day … tees off 6:20 a.m. PT on Saturday for round two.
 
The Cardinal tee off beginning at 7:50 a.m. PT on Saturday morning. Ashwin Arasu goes off at 6:20 a.m. PT as an individual. Weather is expected in the area on Saturday that could affect the start time or play in round two.


BACKGROUND - by The Stanford Daily
The 2019 NCAA championship-winning Stanford men’s golf team will continue their defense of the title at The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational this weekend from Oct. 18 to 20. The lineup will consist of six golfers: seniors David Snyder and Henry Shimp, juniors Nate Menon and Ashwin Arasu and sophomores Ethan Ng and Daulet Tuleubayev.
This is only the team’s second full-field event this season. Stanford’s first was the Nike Collegiate Invitational in Portland, Oregon late last month. Snyder paced the Cardinal there and finished tied for fifth overall at the event, shooting 4-under 67 on the final day. The team as a whole consistently improved each day of the event, but ultimately finished in ninth place out of 15 at the event’s conclusion.
Despite the recent setback, Knowles Family Director of Men’s Golf Conrad Ray remains optimistic about the season. “The team is looking good,” said Ray. “There were a lot of positives in a strong field at the Nike.
Most recently, the Cardinal men’s and women’s golf teams faced off in the Big Match against UC Berkeley on October 9. One member of each of the two Stanford teams competed together against Berkeley’s duos in six matches. Berkeley edged out the Cardinal in a 3.5-2.5 win. Ray’s confidence in the team remains steady after the loss. “Match play mixed format against Cal isn’t a perfect indicator to how our team is currently playing,” said Ray.
The field at The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational is stacked with quality teams. Ten of the top 30 teams in the country will be in attendance, including No. 1 Georgia Tech, No. 2 Wake Forest and No’s. 6-8 Pepperdine, North Carolina and Duke. This is not a deterrent for the Cardinal. “We are here to win and control the things that we can and not sweat the things that we cannot, like how other teams play,” said Ray. Stanford is currently ranked 36.
An added difficulty will be the course the teams are competing on. “The Golf Club of Georgia is a challenging course, so eliminating big numbers and three-putts will be a key to our success,” said Ray. “We remain consistent in our approach.”
This event will continue the defense of Stanford’s title from last year. Led by a strong senior core of Snyder and Shimp, the Cardinal will look to compete this weekend and rise up the rankings. “We’ve had a few good weeks of practice and are excited for our second full-field event of the year,” Ray said.

Monday, September 30, 2019

The season is underway in Oregon at the Nike Golf Invite


FINAL RESULTS:
Behind senior David Snyder's excellent tie for 4th finish, Stanford ended in 9th position at the Nike Golf Collegiate
Senior David Snyder
Invite played at Pumpkin Ridge GC outside Portland, Oregon.  The Cardinal ended up 32 strokes behind Oklahoma in the team standings.

Snyder's 8-under par 205 total (68-67-70) left him only 3 strokes behind Logan McAllister, the individual winner.  Sophomore Ethan Ng also had a fine tournament as he fired a 4-under final round 67 and finished 18th with a 3-under total of 210 on rounds of 74-69-67.

Senior Henry Shimp finished tied for 57th totaling 221 with rounds of 74-72-75.  Sophomore Daulet Tuleubayev tied for 59th at 222 on rounds of 74-73-75.  Freshman Barclay Brown, playing in his first collegiate event, came in at 230 finishing in 73rd place on rounds of 71-81-78.


Final team standings and 3rd round Stanford scorecards are shown below.
Final scoring including Stanford scorecards - click to enlarge
Next up is the Big Match versus Cal to be played at Menlo Country Club near the Stanford campus on October 9th.  This event combines both the men's and women's teams against their counterparts from across the Bay.

ROUND TWO RESULTS: story by the Stanford Daily
Senior David Snyder shot a 4-under 67 Monday to help the Stanford men's golf team move into 10th place after two rounds of the Nike Golf Collegiate Invite at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club near Portland.

Sophomore Ethan Ng shot a 2-under 69 and Stanford shot a 3-under 281 on Monday to jump three places heading into Tuesday's final round.

Snyder is tied for fifth on the individual leaderboard. He opened the day on the back nine and was 1-over through four holes before a birdie on the par-3 15th and an eagle on the par-5 18th to make the turn at a 2-under 33.


He birdied two of the final five holes and is three strokes off the lead.

Ng played the back nine at even-par, making two birdies around a double bogey. He recorded three birdies over his final nine holes and moved into a tie for 35th, improving on his first round score by five strokes.

Senior Henry Shimp also improved on his score by two strokes with a round of 1-over 72. He finished the day with four pars and a birdie.

Sophomore Daulet Tuleubayev made a slight improvement as well, scoring 2-over 73 with three birdies on the day.

Snyder will look to chase down Oklahoma's Logan McAllister, who leads at 10-under, on Tuesday during the final round.
Round two scoring - click to enlarge

ROUND ONE RESULTS: story by gostanford.com
NORTH PLAINS, Oregon – Stanford returned to the course on Sunday to begin its 2019-20 season. The Cardinal is the defending national champions after winning its final five tournaments last season en route to the trophy. Conditions were cold, rainy and windy for the first round of the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club – Witch Hollow. Stanford finished the day with a 3-over 287 and sits in 13th.
Round one team and Stanford scoring - click to enlarge

T8. Senior David Snyder (-3, 68)
Snyder birdied four holes and eagled No. 8 on his way to a three-under 68 … he played the front nine at 2-under, and, after a bogey on 11, finished with birdies on 13 and 15 to pace the Cardinal in round one.

T30. Freshman Barclay Brown (E, 71)
In his collegiate debut, Brown made four birdies and four bogeys … he played the front nine at 1-under and then made three bogeys to two birdies on the back nine to finish his round at even-par.

T54. Senior Henry Shimp (+3, 74)
The highlight of Shimp's round was an eagle on No. 8 … Shimp also made birdies at two and 10.

T54. Sophomore Ethan Ng (+3, 74)
Ng made three birdies on the day, playing the par 3's at 2-under.

T54. Sophomore Daulet Tuleubayev (+3, 74)
Tuleubayev birdied seven and eight to highlight his round, and then made seven pars against two bogeys on the back nine.

Oklahoma leads the way with a 14-under 270 in round one. Each of the top nine teams shot under par on Sunday. Monday's second round will tee off at 8 a.m.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Stanford competes in the NCAA Championship in Arkansas

click to see NCAA competitors
MATCH PLAY RESULTS: Stanford wins it's 9th national championship!
For match play details with videos, quotes and tweets go to https://gostanford.com/news/2019/5/29/mens-golf-spring-to-remember.aspx


"I'm just so proud of these guys," said Ray. "We battled all week. It is the longest week in golf and to play that fine Texas team and do what we did today, I can't say enough about my guys."

First-year assistant coach Matt Bortis competed for Arkansas for three years and the Blessings Golf Club was his home course. He transferred – wait for it – to Texas and played for the Longhorns his senior season.

"Pretty special," he said.

The Cardinal utilized his home course knowledge to full advantage.

"I give a ton of credit to Coach Bortis," said Shimp, who clinched the title on 17 with a 2 and 1 victory against Spencer Soosman in the leadoff spot. "He does a great job of keeping me calm out there. I just stayed confident and tried to hit good shots."

The win was especially satisfying for seniors Salinda and Wu, who competed for Stanford for the last time. Both went 3-0 in match play.

"I couldn't think of a better way to end," said Salinda.

Added Wu, "It's crazy. You can't script a better ending to your career. This whole week we knew that every round could be our last so to end up on a high note is great."

"It is unbelievable," said Shimp, who rebounded from a 2-down deficit. "To win with this group of guys is so cool. Two of my teammates who weren't even on the trip (Chris Meyersand Ethan Ng) flew in last night and bought their own tickets. It's amazing to do it with your teammates like this."

The team relished its underdog role and it provided added incentive.

"Once you get here, you have to think you have a chance," Salinda said. "Once we made match play, I thought we could win. It was pretty cool."

Ray thinks this team has worked harder than any team he has coached, on and off the course. The effort paid off big, along with the steady play of Salinda and Wu.

"They were rock solid all year, so we lean on them a lot," he said. "They left a strong legacy of leadership. I'm happy they could end their career like this because they are a huge part of our success."

Stanford has won six NCAA championships in 2018-19, also claiming titles in women's volleyball, women's swimming, men's gymnastics, women's water polo and women's tennis. The six NCAA titles matches the most for an academic year, with the Cardinal also winning six in 1996-97.

Men's golf becomes only the fourth men's program in the last 15 years to win an NCAA title, joining men's gymnastics (2009, 2011, 2019), men's volleyball (2010) and men's soccer (2015, 2016, 2017).
Final match play win over Texas 3 & 2 - click to enlarge
Semifinal match play win over Vanderbilt 3 & 2 - click to enlarge
Quarterfinal win over Wake Forest  3 & 2 - click to enlarge

ROUND FOUR RESULTS: Stanford advances to match play as the 6th seed
For full round details go to https://gostanford.com/news/2019/5/27/mens-golf-match-play-secured.aspx.

For the third time in 11 years, the Stanford men's golf team has advanced to match play in the NCAA Championships.
 
Weathering a shaky front nine on Monday at demanding Blessings Golf Club, the No. 12 Cardinal steadied on the final nine and finished sixth in the 30-team field.
 
Sixth-seeded Stanford will face No. 3 seed Wake Forest in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 5 a.m. PT.
 
"Really proud of the guys," said Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf Conrad Ray. "Any time you get a chance to play match play at the national championship, you're happy. Our guys ground it out."

Final stroke play round standings - click to enlarge
Cardinal 4 round scoring - click to enlarge
4th round Stanford scorecards - click to enlarge

ROUND THREE RESULTS: Cardinal are tied for 2nd headed into final round
For full round details go to https://gostanford.com/news/2019/5/26/mens-golf-moving-on.aspx.

"It was tough out there early," Said Conrad Ray, The Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf. "We had a short night with the tornado drill, and it took the guys a little while to get their bearings and lock and load. We could have played better. My experience is there's always going to be one day you have to weather the storm and I think we just had that day."

After avoiding a big mistakes the first two days, Salinda made two double bogeys on the back nine and finished with a 74. He is tied for fifth at 2-under.
 
"I made a few bad swings, but that's going to happen on this golf course," he said.
 

"Henry is hitting it great and really manages himself well," said Ray. "He could have made a few more putts. Give coach (Matt) Bortis credit for walking with him today."

"One step at a time," Ray said. "Tomorrow is a new day and I think our guys will be ready for it."
 
Ray will confer with Bortis to determine his lineup.
 
"We've hung our hat all year on depth, so we decided to stick Nate in there and see if that would add a little bit of spark and if he could manage the course," said Ray. "What we preach all year is that this is a team game and when your sixth man can beat the other team's sixth man, you've got something good. We'll figure it out, but it was nice to see Nate answer the call."



Third round standings - click to enlarge


Stanford scoring - click to enlarge
Stanford round 3 scorecards - click to enlarge
ROUND TWO RESULTS:  Solid 2nd round keeps Stanford in 2nd place
For full round details go to https://gostanford.com/news/2019/5/25/mens-golf-standing-tall-in-the-ozarks.aspx.

"Any time you can get around this course in under par as a team, you've done well," said Conrad Ray, the Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf. "The guys got off to a solid start and we just kind of hung in there. Great contribution by Henry Shimp going under par and Daulet Tuleubayev was great from the get-go."

"We've kind of told the guys all year that we're trying to have five No. 1's," Ray said. "All of those guys can step up at any time and play well and you saw that today. Everyone is in a good spot; now the goal is to get some rest. That's a heckuva hike."

"Playing yesterday helped me understand the course," Salinda said. "I think the more you play this course, the more you get comfortable with it. There's a lot of shots where, if you don't have that much experience with the course, you'll be uncomfortable. So yesterday helped for sure."

"We know it's a long week," said Ray. "But if you can improve your position every day – and hats off to Oklahoma State, that's a great round. We're excited to see what happens tomorrow."
Round two standings - click to enlarge
Stanford scoring - click to enlarge
Stanford 2nd round scorecards - click to enlarge

ROUND ONE RESULTS: Strong Start led by Isaiah Salinda has Cardinal tied for 2nd
For full round one details including videos and quotes go to https://gostanford.com/news/2019/5/24/mens-golf-strong-start.aspx.

"The guys did a nice job and really hung in there," said Conrad Ray, the Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf. "We knew it would be a challenge and it was."


Round one standings - click on image to enlarge
Round one Stanford scorecards - click to enlarge view

BACKGROUND: Cardinal is hot heading into the National Championship
The Stanford men's golf team returns to the NCAA Championships for the sixth-straight season and 12th time in 15 years, May 24-29 at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Cardinal owns eight national titles, capturing the last in 2007.

Ranked No. 12 and seeded 10th, Stanford enters as one of the hottest squads in the country. The Cardinal has won four consecutive tournaments and posted an 11-stroke victory last week at the NCAA Stanford Regional. During that span, the Cardinal is an accumulative 48-under par.

"There's a reason we picked hard courses to play on this season," said Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf Conrad Ray. "By all accounts, this will be the hardest we've seen. I think our team manages themselves well on hard courses. We have to keep hitting our drivers in the fairway. I'm confident the guys will be ready for the challenge."

The championships begin Friday with the first of four stroke-play rounds. The top eight teams advance to match play next Tuesday, with quarterfinal matches in the morning and semifinal matches in the afternoon. The winners play for the national title on Wednesday.

NCAA Men's Golf Championships
May 24-29
Blessings Golf Club • Fayetteville, Arkansas
7,550 yards • Par-72 (36-36)

 
The Coverage
 
• Live results will be available throughout the event at GoStanford.com and Golfstat.com, with updates available on Twitter (@StanfordMgolf), Facebook (StanfordMgolf) and Instagram (@StanfordMgolf).

• The Golf Channel will provide live coverage on Monday, March 27, from 4-8 p.m. CT, March 28 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 and 4-8  p.m. CT, and March 29 from 4-8 p.m. CT.
 
 The Field

• 30 teams and six individuals.
 
• Teams by seed: Oklahoma State (1), Arizona State (2), Wake Forest (3), Vanderbilt (4), Texas (5), Oklahoma (6), Georgia Tech (7), Duke (8), USC (9), Stanford (10), Auburn (11), Cal (12), Clemson (13), Georgia (14), BYU (15), South Carolina (16), LSU (17), Texas A&M (18), North Florida (19), Pepperdine (20), Louisville (21), Liberty (22), Baylor (23), Illinois (24), North Carolina (25), TCU (26), UNLV (27), Ohio State (28), Georgia Southern (29) and SMU (30).
           
 The Format
 
• Four rounds of stroke play, with top eight teams advancing to match play. Following the third round of stroke play, the top 15 teams and nine individuals not members of an advancing team qualify for the final round and the overall stroke play championship. Quarterfinal and semifinal matches are on May 28 and the final is on May 29.

In stroke play, each team will count best four-of-five scores. A substitute can be inserted each day.

The Schedule

• Stanford begins first-round play on Friday at 1:27 p.m. CT (11:27 a.m. PT) on the first tee with Auburn and Cal. The Cardinal is scheduled to start its second round on Saturday at 8:07 a.m. CT on the 10th tee with Auburn and Cal. Third-round pairings will determined after the second round.

The Forecast

• Partly cloudy all week with high's in the low-to-mid 80's. Humidity will be in high 60's and there is a  chance of rain and thunderstorms.
 
Cardinal Contingent
 
• Stanford will be represented by senior Isaiah Salinda, senior Brandon Wu, junior David Snyder, junior Henry Shimp and freshman Daulet Tuleubayev. Sophomore Nate Menon is the substitute.

Last year

• The Cardinal qualified for the NCAA Championships at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Oklahoma but failed to reach match play. Salinda sparked Stanford by tying for 15th, while Wu and Snyder also competed. 

Coming in Hot

• The four-consecutive wins are the most by Stanford since 2013-14, when it claimed six overall victories behind the play of NCAA individual champion Cameron Wilson and current PGA Tour veteran Patrick Rodgers.

This season's win total is the highest since 1995-96, when sophomore Tiger Woods and Joel Kribel sparked the squad to five triumphs. Since then, the most team titles recorded in a season was seven in 2006-07. Woods won the NCAA individual title.

Dynamic Duo

• Wu and Salinda have enjoyed stellar seasons and earned All-Pac-12 first team honors. They are No. 11 and No. 29, respectively, in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Both have competed in 10 stroke-play tournaments and rank 1-2 in scoring average at 69.97 and 70.68, respectively.

• Wu has six top-10 finishes in his last eight starts. He scored his first collegiate victory at The Goodwin on March 30 at Stanford Golf Course and has a second and third. During that span, Wu is a combined 36-under par and has posted seven rounds in the 60's, including a pair of 65's. He has broken par in nine of his last 13 rounds – six in the 60's – and has finished outside the top-23 once all season.
 
• After registering his first collegiate victory last month at the Western Intercollegiate, Salinda has been on a tear. He earned his second triumph last week at the NCAA Stanford Regional and has finished 14th or better in his last five starts, tallying sixth or higher in four, and is a combined 24-under. Salinda fired a career-best 6-under-par 64 in the first round of the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. and led wire-to-wire for his first collegiate crown on April 1. He has recorded a team-best 11 rounds in the 60's this season.
 
• Snyder has contributed top-20 finishes in four of his last five starts. He's broken 70 in five of his last 10 rounds, topped by a final-round 4-under-par 66 at The Goodwin and is averaging 70.20 in his last 10 rounds and ranks third on the team in scoring with an average of 71.00 in seven events.
 
• In his last four tournaments, Shimp has fired four 68's. His best finish is a tie for ninth at the Southern Highlands Intercollegiate and he earned a share of 11th at the Western Intercollegiate. Shimp has played in seven tournaments and averages 71.77.
 
• Tuleubayev posted a career-best tie for seventh at the Pac-12 Championships and was selected All-Pac-12 second team. He has shot 72 or lower in six of his last 10 rounds. Tuleubayev has participated in seven events and averages 73.14.
 
Trending Up
 
• Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, Stanford has finished outside the top-10 only once this season. Stanford has come on strong this spring, placing sixth, third, first, first, first and first in its last six starts. The team is a combined 58-under-par during in its last six tournaments.

Local Knowledge

• Cardinal first-year assistant coach Matt Bortis is very familiar with Blessings Golf Club. He was a standout on the Arkansas team from 2004-06 and was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection.

The Course

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 2004 and renovated by Kyle Phillips in 2017, Blessings Golf Club is the home course of the Arkansas Razorbacks and will provide a stern test for the top college players in the nation. From the back tees, it carries a 79.1 rating and 153 slope rating, making it one of the toughest courses in the country.

Funded by John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods, the rolling layout is characterized by dramatic elevation changes and forced carries over ravines, valleys and wetlands, sidehill lies, and large, undulating greens. The speedy putting surfaces are turtle-backed and require proper spin and trajectory.The fairways are tight and place a premium on accuracy off the tee, especially with the strategically-located bunkers. Patience and good course management are a must.