After a tough three days of play at the Cabo Collegiate in San Antonio, Stanford men’s golf will head to Oregon to compete in the Bandon Dunes Championship beginning Sunday.
The Cardinal starting lineup will consist of fifth year David Snyder, junior Ethan Ng, sophomore Barclay Brown, freshman Karl Vilips and freshman Jake Beber-Frankel.
Last week, Snyder posted the best Cardinal finish in San Antonio. In cold and windy conditions, he managed a score of 14-over-par for the three days to place in a tie for 65th. Vilips, who got off to a slow start in San Antonio, rebounded with a strong final round performance. His two-over-par 74 was the best Cardinal round on Wednesday.
Ng and Brown will play their first event since they teamed up to beat Santa Clara in a match on Feb. 22. In that best-ball match, Ng and Brown shot a remarkable 5-under-par 30 on the front nine en route to a 3-and-2 victory.
Beber-Frankel will be making his collegiate debut at Bandon Dunes. Beber-Frankel is part of the highly-regarded 2024 recruiting class and boasts a strong amateur record. In high school, he was a two-time Rolex Junior All-American, and he set the tournament record at the Junior PGA Championship with a round of 60.
The Bandon Dunes Championship will take place on the par-71 Bandon Trails course. Although no Cardinal golfer has previously competed in the Bandon Dunes Championship, some players already have experience on the course. Snyder competed in the 2020 US Amateur at Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails, while Vilips caddied for current teammate freshman Michael Thorbjornsen in the same tournament.
Last week’s tough conditions at the Cabo Collegiate should prepare the Cardinal for Bandon. The links course on the Oregon coast is famous for its inclement weather. With the forecast currently calling for temperatures in the low 50s with high winds and possible rain, the Cardinal will need to successfully battle the elements if it wants to make a run at the title.
The tournament field consists of 14 teams, including Oregon, Oregon State, Utah and Washington State. The Cardinal is set to tee off Sunday morning in Bandon.