Stanford beats upstart Eastern Michigan, advances to Wednesday's NCAA women's golf finals
One of the most improbable stories in college golf history ended late Tuesday afternoon in Carlsbad.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles, who ranked 227th nationally just two years ago, somehow reached the NCAA semifinals on the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa's North Course and actually led top-ranked Stanford before the Cardinal felled their fantasy.
The Cardinal, with a five-woman lineup all in the top 20 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings, prevailed 5-0 in match play to reach a third straight final on Wednesday afternoon, this time against No. 2 USC after the Trojans dispatched Arkansas 3-2.
That was widely expected.
What wasn't was Eastern Michigan and Oceanside's Leovao twins first surviving Sunday's stroke-play cut from 30 to 15 teams, then advancing to Tuesday morning's quarterfinals, then knocking off Texas in dramatic fashion to reach the afternoon semis.
Janae Leovao recorded a dominant 5-and-4 win against Farah O'Keefe, who a day earlier claimed the NCAA individual title. Jasmine Leovao, her twin sister, got the clinching point in the 3.5-1.5 victory by rolling in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.
That put EMU in the semis against Stanford, which has now reached the women's team final all three years it has been at La Costa. The Cardinal won in 2024 and lost last year against Northwestern, with Westview High product Dianna Lee making the clinching putt.
How much of an underdog were the Eagles?
Stanford's five players rank Nos. 2, 3, 6, 10 and 17 among the world's amateurs. Eastern Michigan's are Nos. 108, 145, 205, 276 and 1,699.
The Leovao twins attended El Camino High School, then spent three years at Long Beach State before transferring to Eastern Michigan, which hired former Georgia coach Josh Brewer and received a hefty investment in the program from an alumni group.
The No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown for the title begins at 2:25 p.m. and will be aired live by the Golf Channel. Admission is $8.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 8:06 PM.