Among a slew of top-30 programs and former NCAA Division I champions, Northwestern finished eighth in this year’s The Prestige tournament in La Quinta, California — its best finish in the event since 2018. 

Senior David Nyfjäl led the way for the Wildcats, finishing tied for seventh at 5-over par for the weekend and being one of the reasons for NU’s massive comeback, as he finished the final day 4-under (67) — the second best score out of any player in the field during the event.

Upon completing the first day of competition, more than just the weather looked grim for the Cats, as high winds and low temperatures delayed play for a day in the second rounds. It was like they were playing golf in Chicago, but in California. Additionally, NU found themselves in a tie for 19th out of 24 teams. 

But maybe a little bad wind was all NU needed to feel at home again.

When play resumed on Wednesday, teams faced the same sort of conditions. So naturally, the Cats remained unflustered. As more and more scores came in on Wednesday for the second round, the numbers were heaping up. However, NU put up a score similar to what they had on Monday, moving them up to 14th going into the final round.

In the last round of play, the Cats improved their round two score by 18 strokes, putting up a 2-over 286 total. Along with Nyfjäll’s 4-under day, first-year Cameron Adam finished the day 1-under (70). 

Overall, other players joined the fray. Junior James Imai finished tied for 13th (219) and sophomore Christopher Zhang finished the week tied for 20th (223), helping NU climb 11 spots all the way up to eighth place. The Cats finished 12th out of 24 teams last year. 

Only two tournaments into the spring season, NU has already seen improvement from last year. Currently ranked 35th in the country, the Cats have finished one place better than last year’s Big Ten Match Play tournament and four spots better in this year’s The Prestige tournament. And with such promising results from the fall period of play, NU still has a lot going for it. 

It’s a short turnaround for the Cats, as their next event is next week in the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas. As it continues to snow here in Evanston, with some luck, maybe it will blow west to Las Vegas.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @KLever0ne15

Related Stories:

— Men’s Golf: Northwestern looks to utilize experienced veterans in spring season

— Men’s Golf: Wildcats look to ride momentum from fall into Big Ten Match Play tournament

— Men’s Golf: Northwestern falters late, finishes ninth in NCAA Regionals