The Stanford women’s golf team now has three titles.
In late May, the No.1 Cardinal won their second NCAA title in three years after defeating No.6 UCLA, 3-2, in the Women’s Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa.
Each of Stanford’s three winners—Kelly Xu, Megha Ganne and Rachel Heck—led their match from start to finish. Heck, a senior, sealed the victory with a 4 and 3 win in what was her final collegiate appearance.
“This felt a little bit more enjoyable because you know, this really is it for me, this is the end of a chapter,” Heck told Golfweek. “I felt really, really solid with my game. Really good with my mental state more than anything.”
Heck, once No.3 in the World Amateur Ranking, missed a ton of playing time each of the last few seasons due to injury. In March, she announced that she would forgo any attempts at a professional career.
All three of the Cardinal’s titles have come since the format switched to match play in 2015.
“We never take anything for granted,” Stanford coach Anne Walker said. “We’re privileged to be in this position. We talk a lot about staying patient, staying grateful and enjoying the moment. These are so hard to win.”
The Cardinal also picked up other honors. Paula Martin Sampedro got both Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and Golfer of the Year, while Walker was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.