Women’s Golf: Northwestern off to slow start in fall tournaments
October 5, 2022
Following an underwhelming finish at last month’s Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, Northwestern failed to rebound at this week’s Windy City Collegiate Classic.
The Wildcats hosted some of the nation’s top talent at nearby Exmoor Country Club on Monday and Tuesday but finished 13th among the 15-team field after hitting 42-over-par.
The University of Southern California placed first with a three-over performance, nine strokes ahead of runner-up South Carolina. The Trojans’ Amari Avery, currently ranked No. 4 in the country, earned medalist honors.
Among the participating teams, 10 ranked in the top 30 in the nation. Five ranked among the top 10.
NU’s lone bright spot of the tournament was graduate student Kelly Sim who logged her second straight top-15 individual finish. Sim hit a team-best five-over 221, showing consistency throughout the tournament.
However, the Cats still couldn’t seem to string together any momentum as they remained in 13th place after each of the tournament’s three rounds.
There were some hopeful signs for the future, though, particularly from the team’s younger players. Freshman Dianna Lee had the best-scoring round of the group, shooting a two-under 70 in the third round. Lee was the only NU player to hit under par for a round.
Behind Sim, reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Lauryn Nguyen carded a nine-over 225. Nguyen finished in a tie for 31st place, with Lee finishing just one stroke over.
Heading into the latter half of their fall tournaments, the Cats may look for better results from players such as junior Jennifer Cai, who has underperformed after being the only NU player to receive First Team All-Big Ten honors last season.
The Cats will remain in-state to compete at the Illini Invitational next Monday and Tuesday.
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— Fall Sports Roundup: Northwestern women’s sports off to remarkable season
— Women’s Golf: Northwestern secures two top 10 finishes to end out season tournaments
