After a Cinderella run to the championship last season where they knocked off top-ranked Stanford on the way to the program’s first national title, the ‘Cats are looking to build on their terrific play as a new season begins.
In this preview, I’ll break down the roster, evaluate their prospects and assess the likelihood of Northwestern repeating or making another deep postseason run.
The ‘Cats return
three of their five starters from a season ago: Dianna Lee, Hsin Tai Lin and Ashley Yun. Lee, now entering her senior year, is coming off a remarkable campaign. She appeared in all 34 rounds, finished third on the team in stroke average and earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. Her biggest moments came on the sport’s biggest stage. In match play at the NCAA Championships, Lee served as NU’s anchor and delivered clutch performances. She defeated top-ranked amateur Kiara Romero of Oregon and then third-ranked Andrea Revuelta on consecutive days. She capped her run by sinking a pressure-packed five-footer that sealed Northwestern’s first-ever national championship.
Tai Lin is entering her sophomore year for the ‘Cats after a terrific first season. She recorded two top-5 finishes and won two singles matches in the NCAA Championships, including one against fourth-ranked amateur Meja Örtengren. She will look to build on that strong debut.
Yun returns for her junior year and will once again be a key presence. She led NU with a 71.65 stroke average and earned All-Big Ten First Team honors. She claimed a victory at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate and also won a match in the NCAA Championships against Oregon’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham.
NU will feel the losses of Lauryn Nguyen and Elise Lee, however. Nguyen finished second in stroke average and earned All-Big Ten First Team recognition. She captured a win at the Silverado Showdown and won two matches in the NCAA Championships. Her leadership will be hard to replace. Lee’s transfer to USC was a surprise, but she moved closer to home in Irvine, California. Lee put together an impressive season, earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors and winning two matches in the NCAA Championships.
One major addition for NU is Arianna Lau, a Hong Kong native who arrives as the highest-ranked amateur on the roster at No. 43 in the world. That ranking is especially impressive given she has yet to play collegiate golf, where many players earn valuable amateur points. Lau already has a decorated resume with appearances in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, a victory at the IMG Academy World Golf Championship, a third-place finish at the World Junior Girls Championship and multiple other titles. Her biggest achievement so far came at the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, where she advanced to the quarterfinals in a field of more than 150 players. Lau has the potential to be Northwestern’s top player this season and will play a huge role in the team’s push for another title.
With four of the five players locked into the opening lineup, there could be a competition for the final spot. Sophomore Megan Meng will start as the top option and is set to be the fifth player in NU’s lineup for the Annika Intercollegiate over the next few days. Her best finish last season was 27th, and she had a terrific high school career where she was a two-time Rolex Junior All-American. Senior Jiayi Wang is another option. Her best finish last year came at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, where she placed 17th. First-year Lauren E. Lee could also see time in the lineup. She was a four-time all-conference selection and won several tournaments in high school.
Repeating as national champions will be incredibly difficult as Stanford once again enters as the heavy favorite. The Cardinal were viewed last year as one of the best teams of all time and narrowly lost to NU in the final. They return all five starters and did not lose a stroke-play event all season. Four of their players are ranked inside the world’s top five, and their lowest-ranked starter, Kelly Xu, is 20th. Their roster is loaded with talent, highlighted by U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Megha Ganne, Women’s Amateur winner Paula Martín Sampedro and top-four players Andrea Revuelta and Meja Örtengren. This year’s Stanford team could be even stronger than last year’s and may go down as the greatest women’s collegiate golf team ever.
Oregon should also be in contention, led by world No. 1 amateur Kiara Romero. The Ducks return three other key players, and after reaching the semifinals last year before losing to NU, they will be a major threat. Preseason No. 3 Texas brings back four of five starters from last season’s NCAA quarterfinal team and is led by eighth-ranked Farah O’Keefe and 17th-ranked Lauren Kim. No. 4 USC will also contend, anchored by Jasmine Koo and Catherine Park, who are ninth and 10th in the world amateur rankings. Rounding out the top ten are Arizona State at No. 5 led by Patience Rhodes, Duke at No. 6 led by former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Rianne Malixi, Texas A&M at No. 7 led by Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio, LSU at No. 8 led by Rocío Tejedo and Northwestern at No. 9. While rankings can shift quickly, NU will face an uphill battle if it wants to defend its title.
Expectations remain high for Northwestern as the program looks to build on its phenomenal championship run from a season ago. The ‘Cats open the 2025-26 season at the Annika Intercollegiate in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, which runs Monday, September 8, through Wednesday, September 10.
The road back to the top will be daunting with powerhouses like Stanford, Oregon, Texas and USC standing in the way, but Northwestern has already proven it can rise to the moment. With veteran leadership, talented returners and an exciting new addition in Arianna Lau, the ‘Cats have the pieces to compete once again. If last season showed anything, it is that this team thrives when the stage is brightest. The 2025-26 season is another chance to prove it.
