SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - Pasatiempo Golf Club proved a tough test for Stanford men's golf this week at the 75th Western Intercollegiate, as the Cardinal finished tied for 12th with an 85-over 1,135 in the six-play, five-score format. However, the Cardinal had its best day during Wednesday's final round, posting a 7-over 357 for its best round of the tournament by 26 strokes, and can carry the positives into Pac-12 Championships, April 25-27.
"It was obviously disappointing for us to finish toward the bottom of the field at the Western this week," Knowles Family Director of Men's Golf Conrad Ray said. "However, we had our best round the final day and hopefully learned a lot of lessons on a very demanding golf course that we can carry with us as we move into the postseason. I firmly believe that our best golf is ahead of us, and sometimes tough results get everyone's attention. I expect good things at Pac 12s."
Seven of Stanford's eight golfers had their best round of the week on Wednesday, led by sophomore Michael Thorbjornsen's 3-under 67. Sixth-year senior Henry Shimp posted a 1-under 69 to finish inside the Top 20. Shimp was competing as an individual, but had the Cardinal's best score of the tournament by nine strokes. The native of Charlotte, N.C., played the par 3s at 1-under for the week and was the only golfer in the field to play them at par-or-better.
Thorbjornsen posted the biggest improvement, as his 67 marked a 13-shot improvement over his second-round 80. Barclay Brown's 71 on Wednesday was a seven-stroke improvement, while Daulet Tuleubayev posted an eight-stroke improvement on Wednesday. After opening with a first-round 83 on Monday, sophomore Karl Vilips closed with consecutive 3-over 73s to finish the week. Alex Yang improved by four strokes over his back-to-back 77s to open the event, while Ethan Ng's 73 on Wednesday was a six-shot upgrade over Tuesday's second round.
The Cardinal next heads to the Pac-12 Championships, April 25-27 at Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, Wash.
75th Western Intercollegiate (Pasatiempo Golf Club, par 70)
| Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T12. Stanford | 395 (+45) | 383 (+33) | 357 (+7) | 1135 (+85) |
| T51. Barclay Brown | 78 (+8) | 78 (+8) | 71 (+1) | 227 (+17) |
| T51. Alex Yang | 77 (+7) | 77 (+7) | 73 (+3) | 227 (+17) |
| T61. Karl Vilips | 83 (+13) | 73 (+3) | 73 (+3) | 229 (+19) |
| T67. Michael Thorbjornsen | 80 (+10) | 83 (+13) | 67 (-3) | 230 (+20) |
| 77. Ethan Ng | 81 (+11) | 79 (+9) | 73 (+3) | 233 (+23) |
| T79. Jake Beber-Frankel | 79 (+9) | 76 (+6) | 81 (+11) | 236 (+26) |
75th Western Intercollegiate (Pasatiempo Golf Club, par 70) individuals
| Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T17. Henry Shimp | 76 (+6) | 73 (+3) | 69 (-1) | 218 (+8) |
| 88. Daulet Tuleubayev | 83 (+13) | 84 (+14) | 75 (+5) | 242 (+32) |