By: Max Bechtoldt
With the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf National Championship airing tonight at 6 PM est., take some time to meet the other finalist, the Stanford Cardinal.
Sadie Englemann – One of the two senior leaders that feel like they’ve been at Stanford forever, Englemann has had a terrific career for the Cardinal. She’s a two-time All Pac 12 performer and was a second team All American in 2023. Englemann has two career college wins and is ranked No. 50 in the world amateur rankings. She’s been the star for Stanford in match play this week, winning a thriller against Auburn star Anna Davis and won 6&5 in the semifinals.
Megha Ganne – Most golf fans first got familiar with Ganne in the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, where as a 17-year-old she was in contention to win over the weekend. At Stanford, she has been just terrific. She’s a two-time All Pac 12 player and was the 2023 Pac 12 freshman of the year. Recently, she finished fourth in the Pac 12 Championship and third in the Cle Elum Regional. Ganne is currently the No. 38 ranked amateur in the world.
Paula Martín Sampedro – The superstar Spaniard freshman seemingly looks like someone whose name we will be talking about for a long time. Ranked No. 23 in the amateur rankings, she’s the highest placing player from the superstar-filled Stanford team. Sampedro was an All Pac 12 player this year, with eight individual top-10 finishes, including third place at the Cle Elum Regional.
Kelly Xu – The sophomore All Pac 12 performer Kelly Xu was the one who hit the clinching putt for the Cardinal in the semifinals on Tuesday. Xu is probably the player in the best recent form for Stanford. The No. 55 player in the amateur rankings placed second at both the Cle Elum Regional and Pac 12 Championship.
Rachel Heck – Before even Rose Zhang, Rachel Heck was the face of the Stanford women’s golf program. While her career has been derailed by injuries, as a freshman in 2021 Heck was the National Player of the Year, the Annika Award winner and the 2021 Division I Individual National Champion. In 2022 she was once again an All Pac 12 selection. Injuries kept her out of much of the 2023 season but she has come back to form in 2024. Her win at the Cle Elum Regional was her first collegiate individual victory in over 800 days, and just before that she placed top 10 in the Pac 12 Championship.
