Paula Martín and her Stanford are already in the final of the American university league. What a rookie season the Madrilenian is having. Just two days ago she finished with a spectacular third place in the individual category and today she can lift the team crown. All in her first year. Her rival in the fight for the title will be UCLA. If she succeeds, it would be the second consecutive year with a Spanish champion after the victory of Carolina López Chacarra twelve months ago with Wake Forest.
The day did not start very well for the interests of the Armada. It should be remembered that, after the first four tournament days in stroke play format, four of ours had qualified for the Nationals playoffs, which are already being played in match play format and the best of five matches.
Texas A&M, where Blanca and Cata Fernández play, fell in the quarterfinals at the first change precisely against UCLA. A 3-0 defeat that was much closer than the final result suggests. Cata had chances at hole 18, but ended up losing 1UP. Blanca’s defeat by 2&1 against Royal was also very close. Having completed that 3-0 start, the other two matches that Texas A&M did dominate, were not finished.
In the quarters, Carla Tejedo also said goodbye to the competition and the university season. LSU which had finished in second position the first four tournament days, lost its duel against Oregon by a tight 3-2. Like Cayetana, Carla arrived alive at hole 18 to end up yielding 1UP. She was losing by three holes with five flags left and was very close to coming back to give half a point that would have been vital for the team’s interests.
The Spanish ‘honour’ was saved by Paula Martín who with her Stanford passed that first battle against Auburn. The Madrilenian’s match did not finish as the Californian university won 3-0 and there was no need to complete it. It must be said, she was losing by three holes with four to play. Curiously, in the semifinals she also could not complete her match against Bailey Shoemaker as Stanford had just sealed its pass to the grand final after winning 3-1. In this case they were tied at hole 17.
Stanford is looking for its third university title and what would be its second in three years. UCLA will do everything possible to prevent it, they are two universities that know each other very well as they are part of the same conference (PAC-12). The rivalry is on. Only a few hours left to know if for the second consecutive year we will have a Spanish champion in the best university league in the world.
