No. 30 Northwestern upended a 30-year program precedent over the weekend. The Wildcats, reigning national champions, finished 10th at the Big Ten Championships — their worst result at the tournament since 1994.
The ’Cats played three rounds at the par-70 Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California, from Friday to Sunday. Coming off a season-best finish at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational last week, junior Ashley Yun finished tied for 29th, her career-low at the conference tournament and the highest of the five ’Cats competing.
Sophomore Hsin Tai Lin, who placed fifth and made the All-Big Ten First Team last year, was NU’s second-highest performer. She finished 36th, and freshman Lauren E. Lee, a first-time participant in the event, followed not far behind in 38th.
No. 74 senior Dianna Lee had her lowest-ever result at the tournament, finishing 50th. Sophomore Megan Meng finished 61st.
Meng and Lauren E. Lee were the only two ’Cats to finish any round not over par. Meng carded six birdies in the first round en route to completing it at even par. Lee also finished round one in 70 strokes, carding a bogey or better on every hole.
Dianna Lee, Tai Lin and Yun all completed the round 5-over par. Their collective best performance on a single hole was on holes seven and nine, as two of the three players carded birdies on each.
The ’Cats started the second round slow, carding the same number of birdies as double bogeys on the front nine, but their performance progressively improved. On the back half of the course, NU tallied six birdies.
Only Yun and Dianna Lee improved on their first-round finishes. Yun ended the second round 3-over par, and Lee ended it 4-over par. Tai Lin was able to match her first-round finish, a 5-over par, but Meng and Lauren E. Lee’s results dropped to a 7-over par and 8-over par, respectively.
From then on, it was a free fall downhill. Meng completed the third round in 80 strokes, 10-over par, and Dianna Lee’s 6-over-par result was her worst of the tournament. Lauren E. Lee finished 5-over par, a three-stroke improvement on her second round but five strokes above her first round finish.
Tai Lin carded three birdies to complete the round at 2-over par, her best performance of the tournament, while Yun matched her 3-over par result from the second round.
The ’Cats will return to postseason play at the NCAA Regionals from May 11 to 13.
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