Top-ranked Stanford routs USC to capture NCAA women's golf title at La Costa
CARLSBAD - Stanford spent the week at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa looking like the best women's golf team in the country.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Cardinal made it official.
Behind another commanding match-play performance and a clinching point from Megha Ganne, top-ranked Stanford defeated No. 2 USC 4-1 in the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship match on the North Course, completing a dominant championship week with the program's fourth national title.
Ganne, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, closed out USC's Bailey Shoemaker 4 and 3 on the 15th hole, setting off a celebration as Stanford players poured onto the green in a flash of Cardinal red against the fading coastal light.
It was the finish to one of the most anticipated women's golf finals since the NCAA Championship adopted match play: No. 1 vs. No. 2, former Pac-12 rivals, two California powers and a national title hanging over every hole.
Stanford had been the class of the field from the start, finishing stroke play at 22 under par despite the stubborn, swirling wind at La Costa. USC was the only other team under par, finishing second at 9 under and arriving in the final with enough star power to make each individual match feel like its own main event.
But the Cardinal turned the marquee matchup into another statement.
Stanford’s third national championship in the last five years continued a remarkable climb under coach Anne Walker. The Cardinal have become the sport's steadiest postseason force, advancing to the match-play quarterfinals in all 11 seasons of the format.
Walker told Golf Channel that another national championship “is actually kinda unthinkable.”
“That stuff kinda really hasn’t set in,” she said. “I’m really just happy for this group of players.”
The tone Wednesday was set in the leadoff match, where Stanford’s Paula Martin Sampedro faced USC's Catherine Park. Sampedro won 3 and 2, giving Stanford early control and putting pressure on the Trojans across the board.
From there, the Cardinal's depth took over.
Meja Örtengren delivered one of Stanford's most emphatic points, beating USC freshman Jasmine Koo 6 and 5. It was a strong match-play rebound for Örtengren, who had endured a rough final round of stroke play before helping Stanford end Eastern Michigan's Cinderella run in Tuesday's semifinal.
That left the anchor match between Ganne and Shoemaker.
Ganne, one of the most accomplished match-play players in the field, played with the poise of someone comfortable in the closing role. She controlled the match, protected her advantage and then closed out Shoemaker on No. 15 to give Stanford the title one year after the Cardinal left the NCAA final one point short against Northwestern.
Under NCAA match-play rules, once a team reaches the clinching third point, the remaining matches are halted and recorded at their current scores. USC's Kylie Chong was 1 up on Andrea Revuelta on the 18th hole when play ended, while Stanford senior Kelly Xu, celebrating her 22nd birthday, was 1 up on Elise Lee through 16 holes.
Stanford had been in command well before Ganne delivered the clinching point. The Cardinal did not trail at the turn in any of the five matches.
USC, seeking its first NCAA championship since 2013 and its first in the match-play era, left La Costa with another painful near-miss. But the Trojans also left with more evidence that coach Justin Silverstein has returned the program to the center of the sport.
Silverstein is a Rancho Santa Fe native who helped Torrey Pines High School win a state title in 2004.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 8:31 PM.