Lam Leads Broncos to Third-Place Finish at WCC Women’s Golf Championship

Photo by Santa Clara Athletics. Chloe Lam at the WCC Championship.

FAIRFIELD, Calif. — In a stunning upset at the 2025 West Coast Conference Women’s Golf Championship, Oregon State University captured both the team and individual titles, ending Pepperdine’s three-year reign, while Santa Clara University standout Chloe Lam ’28 secured a top-five finish in her championship debut.

The Beavers claimed the conference crown with a 5-over 869 (286-290-293) at Green Valley Country Club, finishing just two strokes ahead of defending champion Pepperdine. Santa Clara placed third with a 24-over 888.

“I’m really proud of Chloe and all that she has accomplished on the course this year,” Bronco head coach Krystal Kelly told Santa Clara athletics. “Chloe has been the most consistent scorer on the team this year and is coming off a great week at Green Valley.”

Lam, a native of Fountain Valley, Calif., shot a 3-over 219 (71-73-75) to tie for fifth place in her first WCC Championship appearance. Her performance earned her a spot on the 2024-25 West Coast Conference Women’s Golf All-Conference team, making her one of the top 10 players in the conference.

“It’s exciting because coming in freshman year, you feel like you’re still trying to get used to things, but it worked out really well for me,” said Lam. “I was able to get really close with my teammates and my coaches, and they all pushed me to work harder.”

Success isn’t new to Lam. She was also named Orange County Golfer of the Week in high school, so “earning WCC Player of the Week and WCC All-Conference Team was very special and rewarding,” she said. She explained that the strategy for success was to stay patient and mentally focused and not get herself down after a bad shot. 

Lam has shown significant improvement since the start of the season. After missing the first two tournaments, she climbed from 45th to 4th place over the course of six tournaments throughout the spring. She credited her teammates for boosting her confidence and said that watching them practice more motivated her to increase her own practice efforts.

Lam has averaged 74.13 strokes per round over eight events this season, posting four top-20 finishes. Lam is the second Bronco freshman in two years to receive conference honors, following Kelsey Kim ’27, who was named WCC Freshman of the Year in 2023-24.

Amy Im ’26 also finished strong for Santa Clara, tying for 10th place with a 5-over 221 (70-76-75). Kim and Audrey Brust ’25 both tied for 18th at 10-over 226.

Oregon State’s victory marked a significant shift in conference dominance, as Pepperdine had previously won 21 of the 27 WCC titles ever contested, including 14 consecutive championships from 2002 to 2015.

The individual title came down to a playoff between Oregon State’s Raya Nakao and San Francisco’s Eva Pett after both finished at 4-under 212. Nakao, who tied the course record with a 6-under 66 in the opening round, secured the individual crown on the second playoff hole.

The championship concluded Santa Clara’s 2025 season, with the Broncos improving on last year’s performance and placing higher in team standings.