Defending national champion Stanford will play Washington in all-Pacific 12 Conference stroke-play final in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.
Duke, coached by Dan Brooks who got his team to the semifinals this year, was the last team to win two consecutive NCAA titles and the Blue Devils actually claimed three straight from 2005-07.
The Cardinal, coached by Anne Walker, beat Virginia, 3-2, in the morning quarterfinals and then knocked off Duke by the same score in the semifinals, as veterans Mariah Stackhouse and Casey Danielson (pictured) won their matches in both sessions.
“We’re going to enjoy this one for now,” said Walker, not looking ahead to the final. “Duke played really well and it was a hard match. … (But) I like our matchups.
“We enjoyed our championship last year and through the Fall Season, but when we got to the Spring we moved on. Golf changes from year-to-year.”
Washington rallied to beat top-seeded UCLA, 3-1-1, in the other semifinal when freshman Sarah Rhee won the last three holes of regulation and then holed a bunker shot on the first playoff hole to stun Louise Ridderstrom.
Stackhouse, a senior from Riverdale, Ga., who scored the winning point in Stanford’s title victory over Baylor last year, beat Marion Veysseyre of South Carolina, 2 up, Danielson claimed a 4-and-3 victory over Sarah Schmelzel, and senior Lauren Kim of Los Altos routed Isi Nilsson, 6 and 5, in the quarterfinals.
In the afternoon, Danielson provided the winning point for Stanford by beating Leona Maguire of Duke, who was battling vertigo-like symptons, 1-up, after Stackhouse downed Gurbani Singh, 3 and 2, and freshman Sierra Kersten defeated Celine Boutier, 4 and 2.
“I knew my point was really important and I wanted it for my team,” said Danielson, a junior from Osceloa, Wis., who is 5-0 in match play at the NCAAs the last two years. “I love playing for my team and have a lot of heart for them.
“We’re excited to come out and play for the championship again tomorrow.”
In the other morning quarterfinals, UCLA defeated host Oregon, 4-0-1, Duke took down USC, 4-1, and Washington got past Virginia, 3-1-1.
