Socal'S Cal And Princeton Dominate At St Andrews Links Collegiate Showdown

West Coast Vibes Take Over the Home of Golf

Picture this: the iconic Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, drenched in history and rolling green fairways, playing host to some of the fiercest college golf talent around. On the third and final day of the St Andrews Links Collegiate, four elite universities - including our very own University of California, Berkeley - duked it out for glory. It wasn’t just a tournament; it was a straight-up SoCal vs. Ivy League showdown with a Scottish twist.

The third edition of this prestigious event featured teams from the University of St Andrews, Princeton University, Michigan State University, and Cal Berkeley. After days of grit and killer swings, Princeton’s men and Cal’s women walked away with the team honors, proving that West Coast energy can shine even across the pond.

From the rugged cliffs of St Andrews to the palm-lined streets of California, this tournament showed that golf’s future is bright - and a little bit Hollywood. Let’s break down how these teams and their star players made it happen.

Individual Strokeplay: Rising Stars Steal the Show

Men’s Division - Princeton’s Greyserman on Fire

The action kicked off with two days of individual strokeplay on the Jubilee Course at St Andrews, and Princeton’s Reed Greyserman was straight-up unstoppable. Dropping an incredible eight under, boosted by four late birdies in his second round, he clinched the men’s individual title by a cool four strokes over Cal’s Charlie Bundy and Michigan State’s Lorenzo Pinili.

Even though Cal didn’t snag the individual win, Bundy’s squad topped the team standings after strokeplay at seven under, three ahead of Princeton. That set the stage for an epic championship match on the final day, while Michigan State sat at three under in third, and St Andrews - despite their home turf advantage - lagged at 19 over.

Women’s Division - Local Talent and SoCal Power

Over in the women’s individual strokeplay, University of St Andrews’ own Ellie Monk owned the leaderboard at seven under, narrowly beating out teammate Caitlin Maurice and Princeton’s Thanana Kotchasanmanee by just one stroke. It was a tight race, but the local knowledge paid off for Monk.

Team-wise, Cal’s women crushed it after strokeplay, finishing at five under and leaving Princeton in the dust at 14 over. St Andrews landed third at 16 over, with Michigan State trailing at 21 over, setting up a Cal vs. Princeton face-off in the final match play round that had all the drama of a Malibu cliffhanger.

Championship Match Play: Cal and Princeton Battle It Out

Men’s Final - Princeton Roars to Victory

The final day brought match play singles to the Old Course - aka the Home of Golf - and the men’s championship match between Princeton and Cal was pure fire. Princeton took the W with a 4-2 victory, succeeding last year’s champs, Northwestern University. Standout performances came from Eric Zhao, Luke Brandler, Riccardo Fantinelli, and Greyserman, whose 8-up win over Cal’s Daniel Heo was the talk of the tournament.

Cal’s Charlie Bundy and Ziquin Zhou fought hard with wins in their matches, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Princeton Tigers from claiming the crown. Meanwhile, in the consolation match, Michigan State handled St Andrews 4.5-1.5, wrapping up a solid showing.

Women’s Final - Cal Women Bring the Heat

Flip the script for the women’s championship match, where Cal turned the tables on Princeton with a dominant 4.5-1.5 win, following in the footsteps of 2024 champs, University of Arizona. The standout? Constance Fouillet, who tied the course record with a jaw-dropping nine-under 63 against Princeton’s Thanana Kotchasanmanee. Talk about SoCal summer energy on a Scottish green!

Even Kotchasanmanee’s bogey-free five under couldn’t match Fouillet’s eight birdies and an eagle. Cal’s Jasmine Kahler, Marie-Agnes Fischer, and Michelle Woo also nabbed full points, while Claudia Lara Miravitlles and Princeton’s Abra Richmond halved their match. Princeton’s only full win came from Olivia Duan, but Cal was already cruising to victory.

Standout Scores and Final Thoughts

Men’s Individual Strokeplay Leaders

Here’s how the men stacked up: Reed Greyserman (Princeton) at -8, tied for second were Charlie Bundy (Cal) and Lorenzo Pinili (Michigan State) at -4, Daniel Heo (Cal) at -3, and Riccardo Fantinelli (Princeton) at -2. These guys brought their A-game to every swing.

In team match play, Princeton’s 4-2 win over Cal and Michigan State’s 4.5-1.5 triumph over St Andrews sealed the deal. It was a battle of strategy and stamina, and the results speak for themselves.

Women’s Individual Strokeplay Leaders

For the women, Ellie Monk (St Andrews) led at -7, followed by a tie at -6 between Caitlin Maurice (St Andrews) and Thanana Kotchasanmanee (Princeton), with Claudia Lara Miravitlles (Cal) at -4 and Adora Liu (Cal) at -3. Pure talent on display.

Cal’s 4.5-1.5 team win over Princeton in match play, alongside Michigan State’s consolation victory, capped off a tournament full of heart and hustle. As one spectator put it,

“Watching Cal and Princeton go head-to-head felt like a blockbuster movie - every shot was pure drama!”

From Scotland to SoCal, this event proved college golf is where legends are made.