On the first day of the 2018 East Lake Cup, NCAA semi-finalists Duke and Stanford rose to the top of the field, as the two squads posted a three-under 285 and a two-under 286, respectively, to earn the top seeds in the men’s and women’s divisions heading into the match play portion of the tournament.
Oklahoma State’s Viktor Hovland, the reigning U.S. amateur champion, claimed the men’s individual title, while Stanford’s Albane Valenzuela secured the women’s stroke play championship. Hovland and Valenzuela each carded a four-under 68 on the day, with Hovland pulling ahead on the front nine, while Valenzuela drained an eagle on 18 to notch her victory.
On the men’s side, top-seeded Duke squares off with the Auburn Tigers, who earned the four-seed after registering an eight-over 296. In the other men’s semi-final, two-seed and defending national champion Oklahoma State takes on the three-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in a rematch of the 2018 NCAA Finals. The Cowboys logged a one-under 287, while the Tide charted a five-over 293.
Top-seeded Stanford will battle the fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide, who posted a 24-over 312 today. In the other women’s semi-final, two-seed USC is set to face the three-seeded and defending national champion Arizona Wildcats. The Trojans recorded an eight-over 296, and the Wildcats turned in an 11-over 299.
Match play begins Tuesday, October 30, at 11:05 a.m. with the first pairing between Duke and Auburn teeing off on the first tee. The opening women’s semi-final will commence at 11:15 a.m. between Stanford and Alabama.