Stanford women’s golf will begin its fall season on Monday, competing in The Molly Collegiate Invitational at Bayonet Golf Course. Ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, the Cardinal will look to meet high expectations in their opening tournament.
Stanford’s starting lineup will feature senior Aline Krauter, junior Brooke Seay, sophomore Sadie Englemann and freshmen Rose Zhang and Caroline Sturdza. Additionally, coach Anne Walker will send out three golfers to compete in the tournament as individuals: senior Calista Reyes, sophomore Rebecca Becht and freshman Tina Lu.
Krauter and Seay are experienced veterans who were fixtures in the starting lineup last season. Krauter, a former British Women’s Amateur champion, recorded a 73.40 scoring average during her junior year. Seay averaged 73.08 and was a model of consistency — she finished in the top-20 in each of her last five tournaments.
Englemann comes off a strong freshman campaign in which she recorded four top-10 finishes. She posted five rounds below 70, and at 72.92 her scoring average was the third-best on the team.
Rounding out the Cardinal starting lineup are two freshmen making their collegiate debuts: Zhang and Sturdza. Although Zhang has yet to hit a shot in a college tournament, she is already the No. 1 amateur golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). At age 17, she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and this summer, she won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur.
Sturdza also boasts an impressive junior and amateur golf resume. She is currently ranked No. 66 in the WAGR and was a back-to-back Swiss National Interclubs champion.
While the Cardinal’s starting lineup is strong this week, it is missing a crucial piece: sophomore Rachel Heck, the defending national champion and Annika Award recipient, is not playing.
Stanford Athletics spokesperson Scott Swegan told The Daily in an email that Heck is missing action due to a non-COVID-19-related illness.
The Cardinal will have to cope with Heck’s absence as they face off against 14 teams at The Molly Collegiate Invitational. The field consists of primarily west-coast programs, including Pac-12 rivals Cal and UCLA.
The Cardinal are set to tee off on the par-72 Bayonet Golf Course early Monday morning in Monterey.