Stanford Women’s Golf is Starting to Feel Like Nick Saban’s Alabama

The idea of a team dominating in golf has always felt a little paradoxical to me.

Because, golf's entire nature is built around individual performance, and yet college golf has created one of the sport’s most compelling team environments. It’s not just about developing future pros anymore either, the college dynamic has evolved into a proving ground where elite players sharpen every part of their game under constant pressure, surrounded by teammates who are just as capable of becoming stars themselves.

There was a time when one transcendent player (think Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie, or Scottie Scheffler) could carry a program into contention. Now, the best teams are loaded top-to-bottom with players who could realistically contend in professional events before they complete their degree.

The depth across women’s college golf has never been stronger, which makes sustained dominance even harder to achieve. And yet, for the better part of the last decade, one program has consistently separated itself from the pack: Stanford.

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It’s almost surprising to me that Stanford only has four national titles (2026, 2024, 2022, 2015), because the standard The Cardinal have set feels more substantial than that. Year after year, they reload their roster with elite talent, contend deep into May, and play with the kind of confidence that defines a dynasty before the trophy count fully catches up.

Arizona State and Duke's women's golf programs still lead the sport with eight and seven national championships respectively, but Stanford is quickly building the kind of sustained run that could put them at the top sooner rather than later.

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Dynasties across sports create eras, specific pockets in time, that fans can remember with such fondness. Even when you would actively root against that dominating team or program, you can't help but to appreciate the achievements. Because eventually, everyone gets tired of losing, and standards are raised; the competition gets tougher and tougher and the product becomes stronger.

Nick Saban's Alabama tormented college football for more than a decade, but we knew that come every January we were going to get a National Championship game worth watching. Stanford, under coach Anne Walker is doing exactly that for women's golf—creating consistent names and talent for us to latch on to and root for.

Megha Ganne is has been on our radars since she was a teenager, and her development over the last four years has been remarkable to watch. Her poise is something to behold. Every chance I've gotten to speak with her, it's clear that she's primed for the next stage of her golfing career.

"I was totally soaking in the moment," Ganne said after her round. This was her last dance as a Cardinal before she plays Riviera next week and subsequently turns pro to play on the Epson Tour.

RELATED: After Conquering the U.S. Women's Amateur, What's Next For Megha Ganne?

"These girls are so easy to play for, and I just gave it my all. My teammates embody every part of the game that I love and value," Ganne continued to say. "They have so much integrity, so much hard work, so much compassion and a genuine value for team golf in a world where golf is so individual. I think that environment is so rare and I’m so happy to be a part of it. It shows what teamwork can do."

Last year, the LPGA and Epson Tour launched the LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway (LCAP) program, designed to give college seniors, or those in their last year of collegiate eligibility, a pathway to the Epson Tour, the official qualifying Tour of the LPGA.

The top 10 ranked athletes following the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship earn Epson Tour status for the remainder of the current season and next, allowing the inaugural class playing opportunities for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027. Ganne led in those rankings and has officially played her way onto the Tour.

Fitting for the senior to be the one to clinch the title for her team, too.

Meanwhile head coach Anne Walker said that there's a very strong likelihood that this 2025-2026 team is the greatest team she's ever coached.

"It's actually kind of unthinkable," Walker said in her post-match interview for Golf Channel. "They inspire each other. There's no sort of holding each other back. They're just very positive people. They have a ton of respect for each other, and they truly, genuinely want to make each other better. And I think that type of motivation helped push them forward to this moment."

The level of success Stanford has continued to capitalize on is something to behold, and I think we're far from seeing this program reach its peak.