SMU women’s golf lost to top-ranked Stanford, 3-0, in the final of the ACC Women’s Golf Championship on April 19 at Porters Neck Golf Course in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The result marks a significant improvement for SMU after finishing near the bottom of the standings in their first ACC appearance last year. The team advanced to the championship match this season and head coach Lauren Mason said she was proud of her players’ progress. “It wasn’t the result we were hoping for, but I’m incredibly proud of this group and everything we accomplished this week,” Mason said.
Mason also noted that reaching the championship match was an important milestone for SMU’s program. “While today didn’t go our way, it’s still a big step in the right direction,” Mason said. “We’ve played some great golf all season, and it was rewarding to see it come together at the right time.”
In Sunday’s final round against Stanford, SMU struggled early as their opponents gained momentum from the start. “We struggled to get off to a strong start, and Stanford came out hot from the opening hole,” Mason said. She added: “A few early three-putts that led to bogeys put us behind, and against a team with some of the top players in the world, that’s tough to overcome.”
Despite falling short in Sunday’s match play finale—where Jin lost 4&3 to Meja Örtengren; another Mustang fell 3&2 against Megha Ganne; and Paula Martín Sampedro clinched victory for Stanford—the Mustangs are optimistic about upcoming postseason events.
“There’s still over a month left in our season, and we’re excited for what’s ahead,” Mason concluded. “Regionals are up next, and we’re looking forward to the selection show on April 29… We’re confident we can use experience from this week to our advantage as we prepare for the NCAA Championship in May.”
