BOULDER, Colorado – Stanford nearly overcame both weather delays and an 11-shot deficit on the final day of the Pac-12 Conference Championships, but checked out of the event Sunday with a second-place finish. The Cardinal cut title-winning Oregon's lead to one stroke during the final round before cooling off and bowing out with a three-shot defeat.
The three-day, 72-hole event at Boulder Country Club was trimmed to only 54 holes due to a series of weather delays, including several inches of snow throughout the tournament.
"I'm proud of the guys and their tenacity," said Conrad Ray, Stanford's Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf. "Oregon played well in challenging conditions over the last five or six holes. We had a chance, and that's all we can ask for after being quite a big behind to start the round.
"We hope that we can carry this momentum and success into the NCAA Regional Championships."
Stanford was 26-over through the second round -- which began Friday afternoon and ended Sunday morning after play was resumed after a day-long delay -- and was the only team to shoot under par in the final round. Stanford's closing 8-under 342 was the best score by any team in any round in the tournament.
The Cardinal (363-363-342) was 18-over as a unit, three shots behind defending national champion Oregon. Washington and USC tied for third at 32-over.
Oregon, which won its first outright league golf title since 1959, was led by medalist Wyndham Clark's 4-under 206. Stanford didn't make it easy on Clark, and stayed on his tail throughout after the final round began with a shotgun start. Franklin Huang made it a race to the end, coming out of the gate with birdies on three of the first four holes. Huang's only bogey on the day came at the par-4 14th.
Huang (72-68-69) tied for second with USC's Rico Hoey at 1-under.
Maverick McNealy, who started on the third hole, was 2-under through the 14th. He left nothing on the course, dunking an eagle on the par-4 first, then finishing with a birdie on the par-5 second hole for a 5-under 65.
McNealy was 30th among individuals heading into the final round, and jumped all the way to fourth after rounds of 71-77-65. He was 3-over for the tournament.
Brandon Wu (76-71-68 and Isaiah Salinda (75-73-67) tied for ninth at 5-over. Wu had an incredible spurt with five birdies over a mid-round, six-hole stretch. Salinda was 4-under after making the turn, giving one shot back before ending the day.
Bradley Knox (70-76-74) tied for 31st and 10-over and Viraat Badhwar (75-74-75) tied for 47th at 14-over.
Stanford Golf Course will be one of six sites to play host to the NCAA Regional Championships (May 15-17). Team selections for the six sites will be made Thursday.
