Northwestern’s men competed at the Windon Memorial Classic in Lake Forest, Illinois while the women hosted the Windy City Collegiate Classic at the Glen View Club in Golf, Illinois.
Women’s Golf
After a
sixth-place finish at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, the ’Cats stayed in Illinois to host the Windy City Collegiate Classic. The tournament was held in nearby Golf, Illinois at the Glen View Club. The field was loaded with seven of the top 30 teams in the country. Northwestern opened with a terrific start and held steady to the finish, sharing the championship with Duke at 13-under.
Northwestern opened strong in round one, shooting 10-under as a team to take a four-shot lead after 18 holes. Megan Meng and Arianna Lau paced the ’Cats with rounds of 68 and 69. Both played excellent back nines as Meng went 4-under and Lau 3-under. Hsin Tai Lin added a 2-under round and Dianna Lee carded a 1-under to round out a balanced start.
In round two, Northwestern could not quite match its opening pace but still posted a 3-under team score. The ’Cats carried a two-shot lead into the final round and looked to protect the advantage. Three players finished under par, with Lee at 2-under, Lau at 1-under and Ashley Yun also at 1-under. Lau was in contention for the third straight time to open her collegiate career, sitting at 4-under overall and just two shots off the lead.
In the final round, the ’Cats did not have their best, shooting even par, but it was enough to finish alongside Duke at 13-under. Duke made a late charge to catch Northwestern, and the two teams were crowned co-champions. Lee led the way with a 1-under 71, while Lau and Meng each carded even-par rounds.
The Glen View Club played tough throughout the week, with an average score of 73.26 over the three rounds. Scores were consistent across the event, with averages of 73.16, 73.3 and 73.32 for each round. Seven holes played under par, led by the par-5 6th which was the easiest at 0.42 strokes under. The par-3 11th proved the most difficult, playing to a 3.31 average. As a team, the ’Cats ranked third in par-3 scoring at 3.02, first in par-4 scoring at 4.05 and fifth in par-5 scoring at 4.8. They also led the entire field in birdies with 58.
Individually, Arianna Lau and Dianna Lee paced Northwestern, each finishing at 4-under and tying for sixth. Lau’s best round came on the opening day when she shot a 69. She ranked eighth in overall scoring average at 4.58 and was also eighth in par-3 scoring at 2.92. Lee’s best round was a 2-under 70, and she displayed steady play with rounds of 71, 70 and 71.
Megan Meng, Hsin Tai Lin and Ashley Yun also recorded top-35 finishes. Meng was steady throughout the week and finished at 3-under. Her best round came in the opener when she fired a 4-under 68. She ranked fifth in par-4 scoring average at 3.93 and placed in a tie for 11th. Tai Lin also opened strong with her best round of the week, a 70 that included seven birdies, and she finished 28th overall. Yun had bright moments as well, highlighted by a second-round 71 with four birdies. She excelled on par-3s, playing them at 2-under with a 2.83 scoring average that ranked second in the field, and she closed the event in a tie for 35th.
Jiayi Wang and Lauren E. Lee competed in the individual portion of the tournament. Wang’s best round came on day one with a 73. She was excellent on the par-5 6th hole, going eagle, birdie and eagle across the three rounds, and she finished 40th. Lee made her collegiate debut and gained valuable experience. Her best round came in the finale with a 4-over 76, and she placed 62nd.
The ’Cats will return to action at the Stanford Intercollegiate on Oct. 17-19 in Stanford, California. The event features one of the strongest fields of the fall and will give Northwestern a chance to build on its momentum from the co-championship at the Windy City Collegiate Classic.
Men’s Golf
After finishing fourth at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, Northwestern men’s golf returned home to compete in the Windon Memorial Classic at Knollwood Country Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. The 16-team field featured strong competition, led by No. 10 Illinois. The ’Cats battled across three rounds and secured a solo fourth-place finish.
Northwestern opened strong in the first round, firing a 9-under team score to sit in fourth after 18 holes. Daniel Svärd and Rowan Sullivan led the way with outstanding rounds. Svärd carded a 6-under 66 while Sullivan posted a 5-under 67. Svärd’s front nine was electric with birdies on holes 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8, vaulting him into the solo lead after round one.
The momentum carried into round two as the ’Cats posted another 9-under. Svärd and Jeremy Chen paced the team at 3-under apiece, putting Svärd at 9-under overall and just one shot off the individual lead. Mark Gazi and Sullivan also carded under-par scores with a 70 and a 71. Heading into round three, Northwestern was 18-under as a team, in fifth place and six strokes behind Illinois with an opportunity to come back.
In the final round, NU did not have its sharpest performance but still managed to shoot even-par as a team and finish in solo fourth. Svärd, Sullivan and Ethan Tseng each posted 1-under rounds. Tseng’s scorecard featured four straight birdies on holes 5 through 8. Sullivan also birdied 5, 6, 8 and 9, while Svärd was steady with three birdies and two bogeys. Although the ’Cats hoped for a stronger finish, it was still a solid week.
The course played close to par throughout the event with an overall scoring average of 72.44. The lowest scoring day came in round two at 71.99, while the third round played the toughest at 73.13. Seven holes played under-par, with the par-5 6th the easiest at 4.53. The par-4 11th was the toughest, playing to an average of 4.32. NU excelled on par-5s, leading the field at 31-under, and the team also ranked second in eagles with five.
Individually, Daniel Svärd and Rowan Sullivan set the pace for the ’Cats. Svärd opened with a brilliant 6-under 66 and followed with rounds of 69 and 71 to finish 10-under overall. He ranked second in par-3 scoring average at 2.75 and tied for second place individually. Sullivan continued his strong form with rounds of 67, 71 and 71. He was fifth in par-5 scoring at 4.42 and secured a tie for eighth.
Jeremy Chen, Ethan Tseng and Mark Gazi also turned in solid performances for NU. Chen’s best round came on day two when he shot 3-under, highlighted by a stretch of birdie, par, birdie and eagle from holes 3 through 6. He finished in a tie for 42nd. Tseng saved his best for last with a closing 71, and he led the entire field in par-5 scoring at 10-under. The senior placed 47th. Gazi’s strongest round was his second, where he shot 2-under. He ranked fifth in par-5 scoring average and finished 55th.
Isaac Lee, Archie Finnie and Akshay Anand competed individually for the ’Cats. Lee opened with his best round, a 1-under 71 that included birdies on holes 4 through 6, and finished 74th. Finnie’s best came in round two when he shot 5-over on his way to an 85th-place finish. Anand’s highlight was a 4-over second round, and he placed 86th.
NU will return to action at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 19 and 20 in Vero Beach, Florida. The ’Cats will look to build on their momentum after back-to-back fourth-place finishes.
