STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford golf team pulled away for a resounding 18-stroke victory on Saturday in the 50th playing of The Goodwin at Stanford Golf Course.
The Cardinal closed with a 6-under score of 274 – the lowest last-day total among 26 competing teams by six strokes – to finish at 8-under 832. No. 7 USC placed second at 850 and No. 4 Oklahoma was third at 854.
It marked the 16th Cardinal victory in tournament history, named for former head coach and Stanford Hall of Famer, Wally Goodwin. He was unable to attend, but no doubt the 92-year-old Goodwin had a big smile on his face Saturday night at his home in Arizona.
Stanford's last team triumph came in 2017 at The Goodwin.
Great drama at 18: David Snyder drains 40-foot birdie putt to tie teammate @bwu97 for individual lead. Heading back to tee for playoff as darkness looms.
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) March 31, 2019
Card claims first team title since 2017.#GoStanford
After contending in his last two events, senior Brandon Wu captured his first collegiate title in dramatic fashion. Playing one group ahead of junior teammate David Snyder, Wu posted a 3-under-par 67 to finish as the clubhouse leader at 4-under 206. With darkness falling, Snyder buried a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to force a sudden death playoff.
"He's notoriously the best putter on the team," said Wu. "We all had a feeling this could sneak in. Phenomenal putt, dead-center."
Wu won on the first extra hole and said it was worth the wait to win his first title in his last regular-season home event.
"It' so special," he said. "We only get to play at home once a year, so it's an awesome experience. Beyond that, it was cool to see all your teammates and Stanford family come out to watch and support you."
Conrad Ray, the Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf, called it a storybook ending.
"To have a guy have so many close calls and a great career at Stanford over the course of four years and play in almost every tournament and have his first win come in The Goodwin in the 50th is a pretty special deal," said Ray. "He'll remember that the rest of his life and we will, too."
In his previous two starts before The Goodwin, Wu finished third at the Southern Highlands Collegiate and placed second at The Prestige.
He became the Cardinal's 16th individual champion, the first since Maverick McNealy in 2015.
Saturday's victory was the first by a Stanford player since 2016, when McNealy captured the Nike Collegiate Invitational. That earned him a share of the program's all-time win record of 12 shared by Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers.
Competing against a strong field, the Cardinal received contributions from throughout the lineup in the 54-hole tournament. Wu, Snyder (second) and senior Isaiah Salinda (sixth) secured top-10's.
Booming drive by senior Isaiah Salinda leads to a birdie at par-5 first hole.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/4tL91CIy4n
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) March 30, 2019
"I really believe in this team and I've been saying it a lot," Ray said. "Sometimes that's the hardest part because you have to convince these guys they can play. Hopefully, we can ride the momentum."
Junior Henry Shimp tied for 45th and freshman Daulet Tulebayev tied for 60th.
The White team earned a share of 19th and was led by sophomore Nate Menon (t-29).
Stanford returns to competition April 15-17 at the Western Intercollegiate hosted by San Jose State at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. The tournament will be televised by Golf Channel.