Northwestern competed in the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California, finishing 14th in the nation. The tournament was held at Omni La Costa Resort, the same course where the ‘Cats captured the national title a season ago. The 30-team field featured all top-50 programs along with nine of the nation’s top-10 teams. After three rounds of stroke play, the field was cut to 15 teams, with the top eight advancing to match play following the final round.
NU opened the tournament with a solid 2-over round.
Ashley Yun led the way with a 3-under 69, highlighted by three straight birdies on holes 16 through 18. Megan Meng also delivered an even-par round with four birdies. Northwestern ended day one tied for 15th and needed to climb the leaderboard to keep its match play hopes alive.
In round two, Northwestern shot 5-over and moved into a tie for 11th. Dianna Lee paced the team with a 2-under round that featured three birdies. Lauren E. Lee also contributed an even-par performance with three birdies of her own. After two rounds, the Wildcats were in strong position but still needed another solid day to secure a spot in the top 15 and advance.
Northwestern posted a 6-over round on day three and narrowly held onto the final advancing spot. The ‘Cats finished at 12-over overall, just one shot ahead of Wake Forest and LSU. Dianna Lee once again led the team with a 1-under 71, draining a long par putt on her final hole that ultimately proved to be the difference in Northwestern moving on to the final round. Though the Wildcats advanced, they entered the last day 10 shots behind the cut line for match play and needed a standout performance to break into the top eight.
In the final round, Northwestern carded a 13-over team score to finish 14th overall. Windy conditions made scoring difficult, and although the ‘Cats moved up one spot, they were unable to make a late push into match play. Dianna Lee capped her collegiate career with another strong round, shooting even-par 72 with one birdie and 16 pars. The senior closed with a long putt on her final hole, ending her Northwestern career on a memorable note.
Omni La Costa Resort proved to be a difficult test as the par-72 layout played to a tournament scoring average of 73.99. The third round was the easiest at 73.56, while the final round was the toughest at 75.15. Only three of the 18 holes played under par for the week, and only by the slimmest of margins, with the second and 15th averaging 0.01 under par. The par-4 17th also yielded a few birdies, playing to an average of 3.98. The toughest hole on the course was the par-4 seventh, which played to an average of 4.40 and produced more double bogeys or worse (29) than birdies (27).
Dianna Lee led the way for Northwestern, finishing at 1-under par and tied for 18th. The senior posted rounds of 74, 70, 71 and 72 in the final collegiate event of her career while making 11 birdies over the four rounds. Lee capped off an outstanding Northwestern career highlighted by the championship-clinching putt that secured the Wildcats’ national title a season ago. She was a steady leader throughout her career and leaves behind a legacy of success in Evanston.
Yun and Lauren E. Lee also turned in strong performances for Northwestern. Yun opened the tournament with a stellar 3-under 69, making four birdies, all on the back nine. The junior finished at 8-over throughout the week and tied for 53rd. Lauren E. Lee’s best round came on day two when the first-year carded an even-par round with three birdies. She finished at 10-over and tied for 58th.
Meng and Hsin Tai Lin rounded out Northwestern’s lineup. Meng posted two strong rounds of 72 and 73, combining for six birdies across those two days, and finished 64th overall. Tai Lin’s best round came on day three when she shot a 74 with two birdies. The sophomore finished tied for 82nd and will look to build on her season moving forward.
While Northwestern was unable to repeat as national champion, the Wildcats still put together an impressive title defense, especially given the significant roster turnover from last season. NU lost star player Lauryn Nguyen, saw standout Elise Lee transfer to No. 2 USC and also lost Arianna Lau, who was the team’s top player in the fall and ranked No. 37 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, as she shifted her focus fully to professional golf after spending the fall in Evanston. Despite those departures, the ‘Cats returned to the NCAA Championships and advanced to the final round of stroke play, an accomplishment that underscored the program’s depth and resilience. Led by Dianna Lee in her final collegiate event, Northwestern once again proved it belonged on the national stage and closed its title defense with plenty to be proud of.
