The Big Match: California wins 4-3 over Stanford in a thriller
September 28, 2023 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Rina Tatematsu, The Big Match, Menlo Country Club
The match between the two impressive programs came down to the final match and a hole-in-one to stay alive!
After a fantastic lag putt, she never even had to hit the second one. The Cardinals conceded the putt, and the match was over, giving California the 4-3 win at Menlo Country Club in Woodside, Calif.
However, Karl Vilips of Stanford delivered what can only be called a miracle on Hole No. 16.
With California 3-up and in close off the tee on the par-3 No. 16, Vilips needed a hole-in-one to continue the match, because a halve would have ended the match.
And he delivered.
Vilips threw his tee shot past the hole, used the backspin to drain the hole-in-one, and headed to No. 17.HOLE-IN-ONE!! 🤯
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) September 29, 2023
Karl Vilips aces hole 16 at Menlo Country Club in the Big Match!!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/JPQPv7mb4n
However, Tatematsu and Sampson Zheng ended the match against Vilips and Rachel Heck on No 17.
The win was California's third in the annual event, making California 3-1 in its four years.
Before that match went final, the Golden Bears and Cardinals were all knotted up with three match wins each.
Rina Tatematsu with the walk-off!!! 🔥
— Cal Women's Golf (@CalWGolf) September 29, 2023
The Bears win the Big Match 🐻🫶 pic.twitter.com/CDdhubUenI
For California, along with Tatematsu and Zheng, Ethan Fang and Kayln Noh, Ethan Chung and Adora Liu, and Olivia Lee and Costas Panay secured match wins.
In "The Big Match", Stanford's mixed twosome will compete against a Cal mixed twosome in a better ball match play format. Each of the six matches is worth one point, with a total of six points available in the overall Big Match competition. If needed, the number 1 team for both schools will play No. 1 and No. 18 until a winner is determined.
Last season, Stanford's No. 1 men's and women's golf teams teamed up on Thursday for a 4-2 victory over Cal in the 2022 Big Match at Menlo Country Club. The annual event is hosted by the membership of the club.
The event began in 2018, but this version was just the third due to 2020 and 2021 being canceled due to Covid. The 2022 victory was Stanford's first in the event.
FINAL RESULTS
Brown/Sturdza over Ochoa/Du, 4&3
Martin Sampedro/Arora over Fouillet/Lee, 3&1
Englemann/Dobson over Jin/Chen, 3&2
Tatematsu/Zheng over Vilips/Heck, 2&1
Fang/Noh over Lu/Gao, 3&2
Chung/Liu over Ganne/Greyserman, 4&2
Lee/Panay over Xu/Beber-Frankel, 3&2
About the The Big Match
In this unique format that combines the men’s and women’s players from each university into one team, a Stanford mixed twosome will compete against a Cal mixed twosome in a better ball match play format. Each of the six matches is worth one point wit...
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