CHANDLER, Ariz. — Stanford men’s golf started the season strong as multiple golfers turned in near-career scorecards after the first 36 holes of the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate on Monday. Through the first two rounds, Stanford sits in fourth place at 27-under par after a second-round best 19-under par performance.Â
With three new additions to the Stanford lineup, Edan Cui used his youthful expertise to lead the Cardinal through the first two rounds, turning in scorecards of 68 and 66, the latter of which tying his career round low as the sophomore sits at 10-under while placing tied for fifth overall and two shots off the lead. Cui nabbed 12 birdies on the afternoon and suffered only two bogeys, negating his final one on hole 16 of the second round with consecutive birdies to finish the evening.Â
One shot behind the Cardinal leader, Daniel Zou turned in scorecards of 67 and 68 as the junior made his Cardinal debut with a bogey-free 5-under, 67 during the first round. Zou managed nine birdies and an eagle - via a hole-out in two - during the 36-hole marathon on Monday and enters the final day at 9-under and tied for eighth overall.
Joining the under-par party during the second round, Cooper Stearns grabbed the No. 2 spot for Stanford during the second round, finishing the final 18 holes with a career-best round at 5-under par. Stearns secured 10 birdies during the two rounds while snagging an eagle on the par-five hole 17 on his penultimate hole the day. The sophomore sits at 6-under overall and in a tie for 20th place.Â
Also making their Cardinal debuts, Giovanni Binaghi and Judd Jirovsky shot well for Stanford with the former turning in his first round in the 60s during the second round. Binaghi, who shot 3-over during Monday’s first round, bounced back with a near-bogey-free second round, turning in a 4-under, 68 card with three birdies and an eagle as he sits tied-57th at 3-under. Jirovsky, meanwhile, battled back with identical 2-over, 74 cards while securing five birdies on the day. Jirovsky sits at 4-over for the tournament 79th overall.Â
Stanford is back in action for one final round at the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate on Tuesday, September 8. The Cardinal begins the shotgun-start third round at 8 a.m. PT.