Stanford finishes fourth at the 2013 Pac-12 Championship played at LA Country Club

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Final Results (by gostanford.com)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -

By two strokes Stanford edged Arizona State to finish fourth at 54-over-par 1454 on Wednesday at the men’s golf Pac-12 Championships at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Throughout the tournament, the top three teams on the leaderboard remained the same. After a 12-under-par opening round, top-ranked (Golfweek) California took the lead and the title, notching a six-over 1406 (338-357-361-350). No. 5 UCLA (346-358-354-357) took second at 1415 and No. 7 Washington (349-360-369-354) finished third.  Hats off to Cal for finishing off a record breaking season with the most team wins ever in NCAA history.

Final Team Standings - click to enlarge

The 8th ranked Cardinal (366-361-365-362) started and finished in fourth. Heading into the final round today, however, Arizona State (368-362-354-372) had an eight-stroke lead but Stanford came back and fired 12 over while the Sun Devils shot 22 over to finish in fifth.
Cameron Wilson (71-70-69-73) finished in ninth at 283. The senior managed to lead the Cardinal in the second and third rounds, completing a solid top-10 performance.
First-round leader Patrick Rodgers (68-72-73-74) tied for 11th with 287. Through the front nine, the sophomore was even after pairing a bogey on the fourth with a birdie on the sixth. But in the back nine Rodgers let four shots go.
Steve Kearney, who led Stanford today and matched the tournament fourth round low, shot a

Steven Kearney

68 after firing four birdies and two bogeys. The senior (79-71-74-68) tied for 24th overall.
“I putted really well today,” Kearney said. “The greens were perfect and I was rolling it really well. On top of that, I only missed two fairways which really helped.”
“This round gave me a lot of confidence. If I can get my mid iron game working well again I should continue to play great.”

Two shots behind Kearney was senior Andrew Yun (72-76-75-71) who tied for 29th at 294. Yun, who won the Pac-12 Championships last year, fired his best round of the tournament today, going one over after two bogeys and a birdie. He pared all the holes in the back nine.
Freshman David Boote (76-72-76-76) tied for 45th at 300, while junior Shane Lebow (81-76-74-82) tied for 66th with 313.

Final round scorecards - click to enlarge

Round 3 Results (by gostanford.com)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - With a 15-over-par 365, Stanford moved one spot back to fifth after the third round on Tuesday of the men's golf Pac-12 Championships at the Los Angeles Country Club.

The top three in the leaderboard remained the same with No.1 (Golfweek) California (338-357-361) leading the tournament at six-over 1056. Two strokes behind is No. 5 UCLA (346-358-354) in second at 1058, while No. 7 Washington (349-360-369) again took third at 1078.

After shooting four over today, No. 47 Arizona State (368-362-354) edged Stanford by eight strokes for the fourth spot at 1084. Rounding the top five is the No. 8 Cardinal (366-361-365) at 1092.

Round 3 Team Totals

Cameron Wilson, who led Stanford in the second and third rounds, paced with a one-under

Cameron Wilson

69. Through the front nine, the junior was one over and a bogey on the 13th put him two over. But Wilson (71-70-69) fired three consecutive birdies on 14, 15 and 16 to tie for seventh at 210.

Also in the top-10 of the individual leaderboard was Patrick Rodgers (68-72-73) who is tenth at 213. The sophomore bogeyed the fourth, seventh and 11th holes, while paring the rest.

"I was scrambling for par the entire round," Rodgers said. "I only had one birdie putt inside 10 feet, and it was hard to scramble and lag putt all day."

After the round Rodgers worked on his ball striking and hitting fades.

"A good round tomorrow would be a birdie on the first hole and then something well under par," Rodgers continued. "I haven't gotten off to a good start yet in this event. I need a good round to help move the team forward."

Senior Andrew Yun (72-76-75) is 44th with 223. One stroke behind are freshman David Boote (76-72-76) and senior Steve Kearney (79-71-74) who are both tied for 45th with 224.

Shane Lebow (81-76-74) finished two strokes better today to tie for 64th at 231.

The fourth round begins at 8 a.m. (PT) tomorrow. Stanford tees off the first hole with Arizona State and Oregon.

Round 3 scores - click to enlarge

Round One & Two Results (by gostanford.com)

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Stanford is fourth at 27-over-par 727 after two rounds on Monday of the men's golf Pac-12 Championships at the Los Angeles Country Club trailing the powerful three highly ranked teams, Cal, UCLA & Washington.  Cal had a stunning first round led by Max Homa's brilliant 9-under par 61.

Round 1 & 2 Team Results

The Cardinal opened the 36-hole day with a 16-over 366, claiming sixth as the 12-team field headed into the afternoon second round. The next 18 holes proved to be better. With a 361, Stanford moved two spots up the leaderboard.

Top-ranked (Golfweek) California leads the tournament at five-under 695, after an opening 338 followed by a 357. No. 5 UCLA (346-358) checks in second with 704, while No. 7 Washington (349-360) claims third at 709.

Patrick Rodgers (68-72) led the Cardinal, tying for fifth at even-par 140. The sophomore fired

Patrick Rodgers

five birdies and three bogeys to go two under on the first 18 holes.

"Round one got off to a rocky start but I stayed composed and rolled in some putts," said Rodgers who holds a 70.4 stroke average in 29 rounds of competition. "I made a bad swing on 17 and hit in the hazard but managed a bogey and made a great birdie on 18 to a tough pin. All in all 68 was a solid opening round."

During the second round, Rodgers made three birdies through the front nine, putting him one under. But three late bogeys pushed him back three strokes.

"In round two I was right there heading into the back nine this afternoon and just didn't hit the ball very well," Rodgers continued. "I didn't have any good looks over nine holes and seemed to always have five or six feet for par. We were racing against daylight and time, so I was out of my rhythm a bit finishing my round."

One stroke behind Rodgers is Cameron Wilson (71-70) who is tied for 11th at 141. His one-over first round came in second for the team, but it was his even-par second round that led the Cardinal.

During the second round, Wilson birdied the first hole but bogeyed the third. He went on to birdie the sixth and bogey the ninth. Through the back, the junior pared the rest of his holes for a steady finish.

For reigning Pac-12 Champion Andrew Yun, the day started with a 72, only going under once after firing an eagle on the par-4 sixth hole. The senior then finished the afternoon with a 76, tying for 42nd at 148.

“This golf course is going to test your patience more than your golf game,” Yun said. “Tomorrow I need to be more aggressive and confident with my game. I’m not going to wait for an opportunity. I’m going to make the opportunities.” 

Freshman David Boote, also tied for 42nd, opened with a 76 and followed up with a 72.

Two strokes behind Yun and Boote was senior Steve Kearney (79-71) who tied for 49th at 150.

Rounding out the field was junior Shane Lebow (81-76) who scored 157 to tie for 67th.

The third round begins at 8 a.m. (PT) tomorrow. The Cardinal tees off the first hole with Utah and Oregon State. 

"For tomorrow I need a good round to help lead a team charge and get back into the mix individually," Rodgers said. "I need to get off to a good start and make consistently good decisions to ensure a good result."

Individual scoring for round two can be found below:

Round 2 scorecards

Backstory by gostanford.com

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - After a solid spring campaign with a victory at the U.S. Intercollegiate, Stanford competes in the men's golf Pac-12 Championship on Monday through Wednesday at the Los Angeles Country Club.

This 72-hole event tees off at 8 a.m. (PT) all three days off No. 1 and No. 10. On Monday, the second round will tee off at 1 p.m.

LA Country Club plays approximately 6,300 yards and to a par of 72.

Andrew Yun, the reigning Pac-12 Champion, will be on a field that boasts five top-11 teams and 20 of the top-85 players in the nation.

"It's going to take perseverance and a great short game for me to defend my title this week,"

Andrew Yun

said Yun, who was recently named the Pac-12 Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year. "There is a cliché that defense wins championships. I believe that a good short game is like a good defense."

No. 8 (Golfweek) Stanford is joined by top-ranked California, No. 5 UCLA, No. 7 Washington and No. 11 USC.

Rounding out the 12-team field are Oregon, Arizona State, Oregon State, Arizona, Colorado, Washington State and Utah.

"The LA Country Club was designed by George Thomas who is the same architect of the Stanford Golf Course," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "We're excited that we might see some similarities and be familiar with some contouring. It's a long course, so there's a lot of strategy in terms of hitting your golf ball in the proper place off the tee and around the greens to create the most opportunities."

Ray starts a lineup featuring sophomore Patrick Rodgers, junior Cameron Wilson, senior Yun, freshman David Boote, senior Steve Kearney and junior Shane Lebow.

Rodgers, who comes off a ninth-place finish at the Western Intercollegiate, has had six top-10 finishes in nine events including three season titles and five overall. He holds a 70.5 stroke average in 27 rounds of competition and is a Ben Hogan Award semifinalist.

"Patrick plays tough golf courses and manages his golf ball well," Ray said. "He relies on his strong short game so that should all bode well for him."

Yun, a Byron Nelson Award finalist, has had two top-10 finishes this spring, including a third-place showing at the 2013 U.S. Intercollegiate.

"My mantra for this tournament is to have fun," Yun said. "I tend to lose patience as the tournament wears on because frustrations can build on each other. So after every shot, I'll tell myself to smile and talk with my playing competitors because talking helps me relax. After every round, I'll emphasize the positive things I have done so that I can utilize my strengths as the tournament progresses."

"Andrew will be up for a very good tournament," Ray continued. "He's a great putter and chipper with the golf ball and with the course you have to get up and down a few times to make par."

The rest of the Cardinal is rounding out in good form.

Wilson's ball striking is strong. Boote plays consistently and makes a lot of pars. Kearney remains a solid contributor and Lebow, after a nice few rounds of qualifying, made the sixth slot.

The Cardinal clinched the inaugural Pac-12 title in 1960 and has since won the conference championships in 1968, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1992 and 1994.

Stanford's Pac-12 Champion alumni have been Pete Choate (1960 and 1962), S. Adelman (1969), Mike Peck (1977 and 1978), Jack Skilling (1980), Don Walsworth (1986), Christian Cevaer (1989 and 1992), Tiger Woods (1996), Jim Seki (2002) and Andrew Yun (2012).

"Last year I was hitting the ball extremely well coming into the Pac-12s," Yun said. "I just needed to find my putting touch. I remember switching grips to a cross-handed grip in the middle of my first round and it all clicked. I made a lot of putts for the rest of the week."

"I also remember an important game-changer in the final round," Yun continued. "I was one over after three early bogeys. On the eighth hole, I hit a pitching wedge from about 120 yards to a left pin. It landed a couple of feet in front of the pin and then hit the pin and dropped for an eagle! That changed the momentum and gave me the confidence to finish strong. I remember telling myself to stay aggressive. I didn't want to put my foot off the pedal until the last putt dropped."

Stanford finishes 3rd at Western Intercollegiate played at historic Pasatiempo

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FINAL ROUND RESULT:

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - Stanford finished in third with a 31-over-par 1081 on the final day of the 67th Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club.

The Cardinal (351-366-364), who was in third heading into the final round, was only 15 strokes back from UCLA and six strokes behind California.

California (350-361-340), however, managed to shoot a 10-under-par 340 today for a final 1051 and the victory. The top-ranked (Golfweek) Golden Bears edged No. 5 UCLA by 13 strokes. The Bruins (341-361-362) came in second at 1064.

No. 8 Stanford, in third, managed to finish four strokes ahead of No. 6 Washington (358-370-357) who scored a 1085 overall.

"We were hoping to move up on the leaderboard, but the guys played well and the teams ahead of us were all highly ranked," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "I felt like we had a chance today. We didn't play our best golf but we had some nice individual finishes with Patrick Rodgers coming back with a 67."

Rodgers (70-74-67), who was tied for 23rd heading into the final round, fired five birdies and went three under for a one-over-par 211, tying for ninth.

"I struck the ball really well today," said Rodgers, a sophomore. "After yesterday I knew my game was good and I just had to put a round together. I struck it great, gave myself a lot of opportunities and shot a good number."

"My ball striking has continued to improve and I am making steps in my short game. If I can continue this trend, it will be a great postseason."

Cameron Wilson went up three spots in the leaderboard from a 17th-place tie after the second round to a 14th-place finish. The junior opened with a 69 and followed that with a 74. Today Wilson shot a 70 for a 213 overall.

Senior Andrew Yun (69-71-76), who led the Cardinal heading into the final round, tied for 19th at 216.

Sophomore Patrick Grimes (70-74-77) finished at 221 to tie for 37th, while freshman David Boote (74-73-75) was one stroke back at 222 and tied for 40th.

Rounding out the lineup was Steve Kearney (73-80-76) who tied for 68th at 229.

Stanford individual Dominick Francks opened the tournament with a 69 after firing birdies on holes three, six, seven and nine. Later that afternoon on the 36-hole day, however, the freshman shot nine over with only a single birdie on the 16th. Francks, who tied for 29th at 218, came back today with a birdie on the ninth, an eagle on the 10th and a birdie on the 11th for a 70.

Junior Shane Lebow (74-70-76), who also competed as an individual, shot a 220 and tied for 32nd.

“There were some low scores out there,” Ray said. “I felt like we’re continuing down the right track. We’re going to focus on our short games and continue to putt and chip well and hit the ball in the fairway—all the basic things as we move toward the postseason.”

Stanford competes next in the men’s golf Pac-12 Championship on April 29-May 1.

“Looking ahead to the Pac-12s, we play the Los Angeles Country Club, which is somewhat similar on the greens and has a lot of big undulating greens that we found here in Pasatiempo so we’ll work on those situations the next couple of weeks in practice,” Ray said. “We didn’t have our best stuff today and we didn’t exactly make a great run but there’s more golf to play and all this is in preparation for what lies ahead.”

ROUND ONE AND TWO RESULTS:

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - After a 36-hole day, Stanford recorded a 17-over-par 717 for third

Senior, Andrew Yun

heading into the final round of the Western Intercollegiate at Pasatiempo Golf Club.

The Cardinal, led by a pair of 69s from Andrew Yun and Cameron Wilson, opened the tournament with a 351 for a fourth-place tie. Under ideal conditions UCLA led the field at 341, 10 strokes ahead of Stanford.

Strong winds in the late afternoon tested the 14-team field in the second round. UCLA and California, who check in at first and second on the leaderboard, scored the low of 361. Stanford, in third, had a 366 to remain in contention of the title.

The No. 5 (Golfweek) Bruins are 702 overall, while the top-ranked Golden Bears who carded a 350 in the opening round are at 711. The No. 8 Cardinal trails UCLA by 15 strokes and California by six.

"I felt like we hung in there pretty well," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "The conditions were very difficult with the greens being fast and a lot of wind in the afternoon round which was reflective in the scores."

"For us to win tomorrow, we need a really solid contribution from all six players. With five scores counted, I think we can make up a lot of ground quickly. The guys are up for the challenge of playing the course well, managing their mistakes and cutting down on unforced errors."

Yun, after opening with a 69, managed to maintain a solid 71 in the second round for an even-par 140. The senior is tied for seventh, just five strokes behind UCLA's Pontus Widegren (66-69) who leads the tournament at 135.

"The wind obviously made things much more difficult, so I was picking much more conservative targets," said Yun who finished third in the U.S. Intercollegiate and tied for seventh at the Prestige at PGA West. "It's a demanding course and it requires precision so I had to be aware of where to hit the ball and where not to hit it."

Wilson, the other first-round leader, tallied a 74 in the second round to tie for 17th at 143. Close behind were sophomores Patrick Grimes and Patrick Rodgers who both opened with a 70 and followed with a 74. Grimes and Rodgers are tied for 23rd at 144.

Freshman David Boote (74-73) is tied for 41st at 147, while senior Steve Kearney (73-80) checks in at 153 tying for 71st.

Junior Shane Lebow, who competes as an individual, is tied for 23rd with Grimes and Rodgers. Lebow opened with a 74 but managed to go four strokes better in the second round to finish at 70.

Dominick Francks (69-79), the other individual, is tied for 48th at 148.

"The guys are playing in foursomes so they're playing with a fellow teammate," Ray said. "My thought was to get them encouraged to root each other on as much as possible. I want to get the vibe going a little bit tomorrow and see what happens."

The Cardinal tees off at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday from holes No. 3-5 with San Diego State.

"I'm hitting the ball great," Yun said. "If I continue to hit the ball like the way I did and make more putts, then I will have a chance at the end. I didn't make many putts today, so hopefully I saved them all for tomorrow!"

"My goal is to make confident, relaxed swings. It's easy to be tense and try to guide it out here, so I need to make sure I'm relaxed over the ball."

As shown on the 2nd round scorecards below, the 2nd nine played especially difficult with the afternoon winds.

Player Scorecards - round 2 (click to enlarge)

BACKGROUND - One of the favorite events for the Stanford team every year is the Western Intercollegiate, in its 76th year, because it's played on the famous Pasatiempo GC in nearby Santa Cruz, only about an hour south of the campus near the Pacific Ocean.  The course was designed by Alistair MacKenzie, architect of Augusta National, who had a home off the 16th fairway, one of the great par 4s in the world.

Pasatiempo features tight driving holes, elevation changes and very fast, undulating greens  --- the greens remind one of Augusta National.  Although short by today's standards at 6,500 yards from the tips, every part of your game is challenged and scoring especially if the wind is up can be difficult.  The  course is rated at 72.4 with a slope of 143.  With the sea breezes blowing off the nearby ocean, there is a special freshness in the air when you are playing at Pasatiempo.

Stanford has won the team title 8 times while taking the individual title 6 times including last year's win by Patrick Rodgers.  Notable individual champions have included Ken Venturi, Johnny Miller, Mark O'Meara, Peter Jacobsen, Joel Kribel, Aaron Oberholser, Duffy Waldorf, Jay Don Blake, Bobby Clampett and John Lotz.  Stanford champions have been Fred Brown, Chuck Van Linge, Joel Kribel twice, Rob Grube and Patrick Rodgers.

Stanford's team includes Patrick Rodgers, Andrew Yun, Cameron Wilson, David Boote, Steven Kearney and Patrick Grimes as 5 scores will count among the 6 team players.  Shane Lebow and Dominick Francks will compete as individuals.

Stanford hosts the US Intercollegiate as all 11 team members will compete

The 9th hole at Stanford GC

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Final Results - story by gostanford.com

STANFORD, Calif. -
Stanford led the tournament all three rounds clinching the U.S. Intercollegiate title by six strokes at the Stanford Golf Course.

Top 10 Teams

The Cardinal (272-271-274) finished at 23-under-par 817 with four players finishing in the top six of the leaderboard.
Patrick Rodgers finished second at eight-under-par 202 and Andrew Yun, going five under in the final round, was one stroke behind at 203 for third.
Cameron Wilson shot a pair of 68s and a 69 for fifth at 205, and David Boote (68-69-70) was two strokes behind at 207, tying for sixth.
“It was neat to see so many of our guys in contention of the individual title,” said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. “It’s also always fun to win on your home course, but looking at the bigger perspective having depth is huge. Our next two tournaments at the Western Intercollegiate and the Pac-12 Championships are six-man competitions and it’s nice to know we have really competitive players.”
Steve Kearney, who competed as an individual, finished eighth at 208 after shooting a 65 (-5) to match his career-best round. In February at the Amer Ari Invitational, Kearney finished fourth after shooting a final round 67 (-5). In both these low rounds, he made seven birdies.
“After shooting 30 on my first nine holes I knew I had a chance and kept my momentum going,” said Kearney who started on the back nine—making birdies on the 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th—and finished with birdies on the first and seventh. “I putted well today and had so much confidence on the greens. Everything seemed to have a chance at going in.”

Yun, who also shot a 65 today, was tied for seventh heading into the final round after shooting 70 on the opening day and going two under for 68 in the second round. The senior sneaked into third with six birdies.
“My iron shots were good and I left myself a lot of great birdie looks,” said Yun who hit seven fairways and had 28 putts. “I hit a lot of three woods off the tee just like the second day and was just a little more aggressive with the irons.”
Rodgers, who tied for first heading into the final day, fell three strokes behind TCU’s Paul Barjon who won the tournament at 11-under-par 199. Barjon had a bogey-free round and made birdies on the first, seventh and 16th holes. Rodgers, a sophomore, remained tied after a birdie on the ninth but bogeys on the 11th and 14th sealed his runner-up finish.
“I was feeling good heading into the back nine,” Rodgers said. “I was fighting hard and hitting some good shots. I just needed some putts to drop. On the back, I just continued to miss putts and hit a few poor shots that cost me strokes to fall out of the individual tournament.”
“I can still take a lot of positives. It was awesome for us to lead the whole event and I personally hit it really well this week and shot some good rounds without making many putts. It’s nice to know I can contend with still a lot of areas to improve.”

3 round scorecards for Stanford's top 10 finishers

Stanford last won the U.S. Intercollegiate team and individual title in 2007. Today’s win becomes the Cardinal’s 13th team victory in this tournament.
Philip Rowe, Stanford’s Enlight Foundation Assistant Coach and co-tournament director, won the U.S. Intercollegiate individual title in 2002. This time he was on the other side of the team chemistry as a coach.
“In 2002 we didn’t have the strength of depth in players that we do now,” Rowe said “So winning that was different. We’ve been working hard on contending as a team.”
“I still feel like I’m a player. I’m supporting in a different way and starting to understand each player, knowing how to push all the right buttons. Each guy has a little different recipe and it’s about creating a positive vibe.”
Rounding out the official lineup was sophomore Patrick Grimes (74-71-75) who tied for 62nd at 220.
The unofficial Stanford White (287-287-280) lineup finished even at 854 tying for ninth.
Kearney led the individuals, followed by freshman Dominick Francks (71-72-70) who tied for 30th at 213. Junior Shane Lebow (72-76-70) carded a 218 to tie for 53rd, while redshirt senior Wilson Bowen (71-74-75) tied for 62nd at 220. Redshirt junior Andre DeDecker (73-72-77) finished at 222, tying for 76th.
Freshman Keegan English (76-76-74), who competed as an individual, tied for 86th at 226.
The Cardinal competes next at the Western Intercollegiate at Santa Cruz, Calif. on April 13-14.
“We’ve worked hard on our short game and it showed at this tournament,” Yun said. “Stanford golf course didn’t play tough because of its length or the rough; it played tough because of the fast greens and tough pins. We really managed our game well out there.”

Day Two Results - story by gostanford.com

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford remains in first at 17-under-par 543, after being the only team to shoot under par in the second round of the U.S. Intercollegiate at Stanford Golf Course.

The Cardinal (272-271) leads the tournament by 11 strokes heading into the final round with four players in the top 10 of the leaderboard.

"The first six holes are the most difficult and we got there even par as a team," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "It was one of the first rounds all year that all five guys played decently well. There was a good vibe on the course and that's what you really need to do to win."

After opening with a 66 bogey-free round Patrick Rodgers kept steady, made six birdies, two

Patrick Rodgers Rnd 2

bogeys and, again, went four under. The freshman (66-66) tied for first at 132 with TCU's Paul Barjon who led the second round through the front nine after six early birdies.

Rodgers birdied the third, bogeyed the fifth and had back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes, but still trailed Barjon by two strokes. With a birdie on the 13th and 15th, he climbed back up to the top of the leaderboard.

A birdie on the 16th looked to break the tie for first but a bogey on the 17th left Rodgers with Barjon. 

Patrick Rodgers' Rnd 1 & 2 scorecards - click to enlarge

With a pair of 68s, Cameron Wilson is tied for third at 136. He started the second round with a birdie on the first hole and closely followed that with a bogey on the third. The junior managed to go two under with a birdie on the ninth and the 16th.

David Boote, who opened the tournament at 68 along with Wilson, carded a 69 to tie for fifth. He managed to balance out a double bogey on the fourth with consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes. The freshman then bogeyed the ninth but came back with three consecutive birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th, closing the round with a bogey on the 17th to still remain under par. 

Close behind was Andrew Yun (70-68) who is tied for seventh at 138. The senior birdied the seventh and the 16th. He pared the rest.

"I hit a lot of three woods out there," said Yun about his bogey-free round. "I had a much more conservative game plan because my driver put me in a couple of bad spots during the first day, so I decided to leave it in the bag for most of the round."

"Coach Ray and I worked on my swing after the first round. I inputted some of the tips he gave me on the range yesterday and I told myself to make confident swings."

Closing in on the top five of the team leaderboard is TCU (274-280-554) in second, followed by St Mary's (273-286) and San Francisco (275-284) who are tied for third, while Oregon (282-283) checks in at fifth.

Despite the lead, before the final round, Ray will tell his team to "not worry about the scores so much. Focus on the course, not the results, and control the things you have control over."

Rounding out Stanford's official lineup was sophomore Patrick Grimes (74-71) who tied for 58th at 145.

The unofficial Stanford White lineup made up of individual competitors remained at 13th at 574 after shooting a pair of 287s. Leading the individuals were freshman Dominick Francks (71-72) and senior Steve Kearney (74-69) who both tied for 33rd at 143.  

Kearney made four birdies to finish an under-par round.

Redshirt senior Wilson Bowen (71-74) and redshirt junior Andre DeDecker (73-72) tied for 58th at 145, while junior Shane Lebow (72-76) recorded a 148 to tie for 71st.

With a pair of 76s freshman Keegan English, who competed as an individual, tied for 87th at 152.

The final round resumes on Saturday at 8 a.m. (PT). Tee times off the first and 10th holes. Live scoring is on Golf GameBook.

"You can get a lot of momentum if you make some putts out here," Yun said. "So the putts are going to have to drop tomorrow."

Day One Results: report by gostanford.com

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford is in first at eight-under-par 272, leading the tournament by a

stroke on Thursday in the opening round of the U.S. Intercollegiate at Stanford Golf Course.

Patrick Rodgers, who is tied at first with six other players, led the Cardinal at four-under-par 66. The freshman made four birdies on the second, seventh, 10th and 16th holes and finished with no bogies --- see his scorecard below (click to enlarge).

Patrick Rodgers' round 1 scorecard - click to enlarge

"Getting off to a good start was big," said Rodgers who used 31 putts and hit 16 greens and eight fairways. "To hit it to a tap in on 10 was great. It's always nice to have the comfort of being under par and letting the round come to you as opposed to trying to force it."

"I stayed patient and composed all day, making good decisions to stay bogey-free."

Under sunny ideal conditions and a light breeze, six teams shot under par, all of whom are a stroke from each other. Stanford was even through the front nine and crept up to the top of the leaderboard heading into the round.

St. Mary's shot a 273 for second, while TCU checked in at third with 274. Close behind was San Francisco at 275 for fourth. San Jose State, who led the tournament through the first nine holes, scored 276 for fifth, as USC took sixth at 277.

"When it's that tight, that means you have to do all the easy stuff well," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "Avoid three putts. Hit the ball in the fairway. Stay away from the big numbers."

"There isn't a lot of rough. There might be a little separation in the next two days with wind tomorrow and rain on Saturday."

Both Cameron Wilson and David Boote opened with a 68, finding momentum in the back nine and tying for 13th.

Boote--who teed off on the 10th hole with all the Cardinal players--headed into the round at one over. The freshman turned that around with a birdie on the first hole. He pared his next three holes and made birdie on the fifth. A bogey and par quickly followed, but Boote managed to birdie his final two holes.

"This is the first event my family has watched me play in college," said Boote who hails from Surrey, England. "The plan for tomorrow is to keep playing well, staying in control of my ball and managing my mind."

For Wilson, he was at par going into the last nine holes.

"My front nine was sort of a struggle," Wilson said. "I stayed pretty patient though and didn't get too up or down. I didn't start too well on the back nine, got a bogey on three but, again, stayed patient and had a long putt on four for birdie and an eagle on seven."

Andrew Yun carded a 70 to tie for 26th, after five birdies--three of which were in the back nine. The senior was two under going into the final hole but he double bogeyed the ninth to settle for par.

Rounding out the five was sophomore Patrick Grimes who tied for 66th at 74.

"We played solid on the front," Ray said. "The west wind made some of the holes, such as the second and seventh, shorter than normal. The guys had a nice finish, other than Andrew, but there is a lot of golf left."

The rest of the six players on the Stanford men's team played as individuals. Five were unofficially grouped as the Stanford White team (as opposed to the official lineup which was dubbed Stanford Cardinal).

On the Stanford White lineup was senior Steve Kearney, junior Shane Lebow, redshirt junior Andre DeDecker, freshmanDominick Francks and redshirt senior Wilson Bowen.

Stanford White scored 287 for 13th, ahead of five other schools.

Francks and Bowen led Stanford White with a pair of 71s, tying for 31st. Tied at 49th was Lebow with 72. DeDecker recorded a 73 to tie for 61st, while Kearney shot a 74 to tie for 66th.

Freshman Keegan English, who also competed as an individual, carded a 76 to tie for 83rd.

The second round resumes on Friday at 8 a.m. (PT). Tee times off the first and 10th holes. Live scoring is on Golf GameBook.

"Our guys traditionally have been better front-runners than coming from behind," Ray said. "They're good about managing their game and playing in confidence. We have been in the middle of the pack in most of the tournaments so this is good for us."

Pre-Tournament Background by gostanford.com --- All 11 members of the Stanford golf team will be competing in the US Intercollegiate.

STANFORD, Calif. - No. 10 Stanford, up three spots in the Golfweek rankings, hosts the 45th annual U.S. Intercollegiate on Thursday at the Stanford Golf Course.

The Cardinal is joined by No. 7 USC and No. 8 TCU, headlining a field that also includes Pac-12 rivals Oregon and Colorado.

Rounding out the 17-team field are Saint Mary's, Northwestern, San Diego State, Iowa, San Francisco, UC Davis, Lamar, San Jose State, Pepperdine, Minnesota, Hawaii-Hilo and Nevada.

"We're excited about the field," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "USC and TCU are here and both are really good teams that have played well on our home course. I think it'll be a good test for our guys."

This 54-hole event consists of three rounds, from March 28-30. Play will begin at 8 a.m. (PT) each day with tee times off the first and 10th holes.

Ray will start a lineup featuring sophomore Patrick Rodgers, junior Cameron Wilson, senior Andrew Yun, sophomore Patrick Grimes and freshman David Boote.

Boote qualified the lowest and takes the fifth spot according to Ray's strategy: "Lead off with strength and finish with strength."

Grimes, who has not been in the starting lineup since the Pac-12 Preview in the fall, replaces senior Steve Kearney.  

"Grimes kind of had that spot for us all last spring and he's been working hard to get that spot back," Ray said. "He knows the course well and he's grown up around the area. In qualifying, he ended up shooting one stroke better than Kearney."

Kearney, who started in three tournaments this spring, will compete as an individual, along with junior Shane Lebow, redshirt junior Andre DeDecker, freshman Dominick Francks, redshirt senior Wilson Bowen and freshman Keegan English.

"Each guy does a good job of knowing what they need to do to prepare for a tournament," Ray said. "A number of the players were able to get home and see their swing coaches, spend some time with their families and recharge their batteries after a busy finals week."

Stanford has had 12 team victories and 13 individual titles at the U.S. Intercollegiate, the most of any other school in both categories. The Cardinal captured the first team and individual titles in 1968 during the inaugural year of the tournament.

Stanford alumni who have won the U.S. Intercollegiate have been Sandy Adelman (1968), Gary Vanier (1970), Tom Watson (1971), Conrad Nilmeier (1973), Dave Baskins (1974), Mike Peck (1976), Mike Milliken (1990), Casey Martin (1995), Joel Kriebel (1996 & 1997), Philip Rowe (2002) and  Rob Grube (2006 & 2007).

The Cardinal holds the longest U.S. Intercollegiate team winning streak at six years from 1970-1975.

Live scoring will be available at Golf Game Book. Fans can download the app on their smartphones and follow hole-by-hole scoring, view pictures and leave comments in a newsfeed. 

Stanford finishes 5th in Las Vegas, Patrick Rodgers wins his 3rd

TPC Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, NV

Live scoring | TPC Southern Highlands | Golf Week Recap
11 of the nation's top 13 teams compete in Las Vegas
Cal 1, Texas 2, Alabama 3, New Mexico 5, UCLA 6,
USC 7, Duke 8, Florida 10, Geogia 11, Georgia Tech 12, Stanford 13

Final Results

Patrick Rodgers wins his 3rd title

Stanford struggled on its final round with a 12-over 300 team total and ended up 5th in the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters played in Las Vegas after standing in 2nd place after rounds 1 & 2.  The Cardinal's three round total (286-290-300 876) was 20 strokes behind the winning Cal team.  Although the final round was a disappointment, the Cardinal still finished in front of 6 teams ranked ahead of them.

The highlight of the tournament for Stanford was Patrick Rodgers winning his 3rd tournament of the year in a 4-man playoff (66-73-73 212). He birdied his final hole to get into a playoff and birdied the first playoff hole to win.   Video of Patrick's final hole pitch | Video of Patrick's final hole birdie putt | Video of Patrick's winning playoff birdie.   

Cal won its 8th team title in by 13 strokes with an 856, 8-under par total that featured steady play by all five players who individually shot between 212 and 218.  For Stanford, Cameron Wilson had an excellent tournament finishing 5th on rounds of 71-71-73 215, 3 shots behind Patrick's winning total.  Andrew Yun tied for 31st with 73-74-76 223, David Boote tied for 48th with 76-72-78  226 and Steven Kearney ended at 237 with 83-75-79.

Stanford's final round scorecards are shown below.  Of note, both Patrick Rodgers and Cameron Wilson started their rounds with double bogies but still finished strongly.  Andrew Yun started with a triple bogie and played 1 over thereafter.

Final round scorecards - click to enlarge

The top 10 team standings can be found below:

Top 10 team scores - click to enlarge

Round 2 Results by gostanford.com

Stanford trails in second at even-par 576 on Saturday in the second round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters.

Patrick Rodgers

Tournament front-runner Patrick Rodgers shot one-over-par 73 after firing three early birdies over the front nine. With a 66 in the opening round, the sophomore heads into the last day at five under.

"The wind on the front nine made a few of the holes accessible," said Rodgers who has a two-stroke lead. "I tried to fight hard on the back but it was playing tough. I just made a few bogeys with quality shots that ended up in the wrong spots. I feel comfortable with my game, and if I can make good decisions tomorrow hopefully I can lead the comeback."  

California (285-280), the only team to shoot under par today, went eight under for the lead at 565, 11 strokes ahead of the Cardinal.

There was a battle of the Bay at the Southern Highlands Golf Club. Over the front nine, Stanford managed to lead the tournament a stroke ahead of California. Through the back, however, three California players shot under. The Cardinal (286-290) still produced a solid round at two over for the third low round of the day.

"We're up for tomorrow's competition and on this golf course 11 shots is very attainable," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "To play the final pairing with two great teams is a neat opportunity for our guys and they'll rise to the challenge. They handled themselves well today and had a little bit of a slow finish on a course where the last few holes are pivotal."

Cameron Wilson led the team at 71 after making four consecutive birdies over the front nine. The junior is tied for fourth at 142 after a 71 in the opening round.

"I got some comfortable yardages and hit some precise short irons on holes six through nine," said Wilson. "All of my birdie putts were inside 10 feet."

Senior Andrew Yun (73-74) tied for 23rd at 147, while freshman David Boote (76-72) was not too far behind at 148, tying for 28th. Steve Kearney (83-75), a senior, finished 77th at 158.

The final round resumes on Sunday at 8 a.m. Stanford, paired with California and Alabama, tees off at 9:39 a.m. with nine minutes apart between groups.

"The weather should be better tomorrow, but hole locations will probably be challenging," said Wilson. "My game plan is to be very patient and accepting of all the breaks, good or bad."

Round 2 scorecards are shown below - click to enlarge:

Round 2 scorecards - click to enlarge

Round 1 Results by gostanford.com

Stanford is in second place at two-under-par 286, just one stroke behind California, on Friday in the first round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters.

Sophomore Patrick Rodgers led the tournament with a six-under-par 66 after opening with two consecutive birdies and firing three more to end the front nine at five under. Two more birdies and a bogey on the back nine left Rodgers with a two-stroke lead.

"On the front nine I just tried to take what the golf course gave me," said Rodgers who hit 12 fairways and had 26 putts. "The wind laid down a bit and the greens were receptive so the course offered a few early birdies. I hit a lot of quality shots, controlled the ball well and converted the putts to get it going early."

Under cold, windy, rainy conditions, where some sleet covered the ground and the tournament had to call a rain delay, only Stanford and California shot under par.

"We had a great team contribution all the way around and I'm confident Steve Kearney will be in there for us in the next few days," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "We know there's a lot of golf left and we're going to continue to control the things we can control, picking good clubs and having good strategy on the course."

Another Cardinal front-runner was Cameron Wilson who shot a 71 to tie for seventh. The junior birdied the second, seventh, 10th and 16th holes for a solid performance.

Senior Andrew Yun tied for 19th at 73 after two early bogeys and a birdie over the front nine. Then he overcame a late bogey by making a birdie on his last hole for one over.

Rounding out the field was freshman David Boote who tied for 51st at 76 and Kearney at 83, tying for 78th. Boote, who was six under, managed to make an eagle on his last hole to finish four under.

The second round resumes on Saturday at 8 a.m. Tee times off the first and 10th holes.

"It is always nice to be in the lead individually but we are one behind in the team event," said Rodgers. "Team golf is nice because it can really clean your slate individually and you can go out and play aggressively in an effort to shoot the best team score possible."

Round 1 scorecards are shown below - click to enlarge:

Rnd 1 scoring - click to enlarge

Tournament Background by gostanford.com

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Stanford, up one spot to No. 13 (Golfweek), competes on Friday at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters, where all the teams rank in the top 40 and the majority of which are in the top 10.

The Cardinal is joined by top ranked California, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Alabama, No. 5 New Mexico, No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 USC, No. 8 Duke and No. 10 Florida.

Rounding out the 15-team field are No. 11 Georgia, No. 12 Georgia Tech, No. 16 Okalahoma State, No. 25 Texas A&M, No. 26 Oklahoma and No. 40 UNLV.

"The course and field at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters are two of the strongest we will see all year," said The Knowles Family Director of Golf Conrad Ray. "You need to have very good ball control on the course and typically even par is a very good score both individually and as a team. The event is a very good litmus test on where we are with things as we begin to prepare for the spring run toward NCAAs."

This 54-hole event consists of three rounds, from March 8-10, on the Southern Highlands Golf Club. Play will begin at 8 a.m. each day with tee times off the first and 10th holes. Live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com.

"Southern Highlands is a demanding golf course that tests all facets of the game," said sophomore Patrick Rodgers. "The greens are fast and firm, the golf course is long and the rough is difficult. As a team we need to be sharp mentally."

After a fifth-place finish at the Prestige at PGA West and a seventh-place finish at the Amer Ari Invitational, Ray starts the same five players in a shuffled order. The lineup is Rodgers, freshman David Boote, senior Steve Kearney, junior Cameron Wilsonand senior Andrew Yun.

"When we play in events that use the format of tee time starts off the first and tenth holes, there is some advantage to lead off with strength and finish with strength," said Ray. "We believe Andrew is primed to have another great event and we expect him to get out of the gates quickly. Patrick has been very steady and likes being the last guy on the course with a task at hand. Steve has been very steady for us as well the last few events, thus his spot in the middle of the lineup supports this effort."

Yun returns to competition after leading the team, along with Wilson, at a tied seventh-place finish at the Prestige.

"I feel like my game is really solid and I `m capable of contending for the title," said Yun. "To get to that next level, I will need to be more consistent. I have been making enough birdies, but the bogeys need to be reduced. I have been making small but significant errors that cost me one to two shots a round, which equates to three to six shots a tournament. So if I can just marginalize the errors, maybe I can head into the back nine Sunday in contention for the win."

"The course tempts you to take on risk many times throughout the round," said Rodgers. "We need to establish a game plan for the golf course and stay committed to it throughout the event."