The fifth-ranked Stanford Men’s Golf Team is trying to make like the Cardinal’s top-ranked Women’s Team, which is defending NCAA Champion.
The Stanford men came from six strokes down in the final round to win the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate on the Lakeside Course at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, Ga., against some best team in the nation after winning the Fighting Illini Invitational about a month earlier.
“Getting big wins early in the season is a huge momentum boost for everyone,” said Coach Conrad Ray, who led the Cardinal to the 2019 NCAA Championship. “We realize there is a ton of golf to play, but it’s always good to compete strongly in one of the top fields in college golf on a U.S. Open venue. Top teams make winning a habit and that is what we are hoping to try and establish early on this season.
“Everything was first class and a big thanks to the Golf Club of Georgia staff for all of their efforts. The course was in phenomenal shape and the tournament was run super well.”
Michael Thorbjornsen, a Stanford junior from Wellesley, Mass., is ranked second in the nation after winning the Fighting Illini Invitational and the Golf Club of Georgia Invitational individual titles, in addition to finishing third in the Stephens Cup and seventh in the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.
Stanford also has No. 33 Karl Vilips a junior from Australia who won the Gold Medal in Boys Golf at the 2018 Youth Olympics and who recently was in the hunt in the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship before fading to a tie for 11th, plus No. 56 Ethan Ng and No. 92 Barclay Brown.
No. 16 Pepperdine, the which claimed the 2021 NCAA Championship under Coach Michael Beard, is ranked No. 16 and features No. 10 Derek Hitchner, No. 50 William Mouw and No. 136 Sam Choi.
San Diego State ranks No. 22 in the nation behind No. 61 Shea Lague and No. 171 Youssef Guezaale, Long Beach State is No. 60 with No. 6 Ian Gilligan, while USC is No. 65 thanks to No. 120 Mahanth Chirravuri and No. 152 Jackson Rivera.
The University of San Francisco ranks No. 69 led by No. 244 Benjamin Partridge, the University of California is 71st headed by No. 319 Nathan Wang, Fresno State ranks 94th with No. 85 Matthews Sutherland, and San Jose State is No. 95, as Caleb Shetler at No. 168.
