After a solid fourth-place finish at the Annika Intercollegiate, Northwestern women’s golf tested itself against an even tougher field at the Stephens Cup. The tournament featured national powerhouses led by No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Oregon. Despite moments of strong individual play, the Wildcats struggled to find consistency across three rounds and ultimately finished sixth.
The first round set a difficult tone. NU opened with a 12-over team score and fell well behind the leaders early. Arianna Lau continued her impressive start to the season by carding an even-par 70. Her round featured back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15 that provided a spark on an otherwise shaky day for the team.
Round two brought some improvement but not enough to push the ‘Cats back into contention. Northwestern posted an 8-over 288, paced by a 2-under 68 from first-year standout Megan Meng who made three birdies and one bogey. Lau remained steady with a 71. Even with those efforts, the Wildcats knew they would need something special in the final round to climb the leaderboard.
That final push never came. NU closed with a 13-over score in the last round, slipping further from the leaders. Meng turned in another solid effort with a 1-over 71 that included two birdies while Lau contributed a 2-over 72 for the team’s second-best score of the day. A bright spot came on the par-5 15th hole where all five Wildcats made birdies, but the momentum was not enough to spark a surge.
The par-70 Shoreacres course proved to be a significant challenge throughout the three-day event even with relatively calm weather conditions. Scoring was difficult from start to finish and the course tested every part of the players’ games. The final round was the toughest of the week, as the field averaged 73.51, which was more than three strokes over par. Across all three rounds, the course played to an average of 73.16, showing just how demanding the setup was. Only two holes offered players consistent scoring opportunities: the par-5 15th and the par-5 18th. Both provided birdie chances, although mistakes elsewhere quickly erased those gains. The most punishing test came at the par-3 14th, which played to a daunting 3.54 scoring average and ranked as the hardest hole of the week.
For Northwestern, first-year standout Arianna Lau once again set the tone. She finished the tournament at 3-over par to place ninth individually, marking her second straight top-10 finish to begin her college career. Lau excelled with a steady approach and led the entire field in pars with 42. She ranked eighth in par-3 scoring average, 10th in par-4 scoring average and 20th in par-5 scoring average. Her ability to limit mistakes kept her near the top of the leaderboard throughout the week and underscored the consistency she has shown in her early season. After opening the fall with a fifth-place finish at the Annika Intercollegiate, Lau has quickly established herself as one of the most reliable players on the roster.
Megan Meng and Dianna Lee also delivered strong showings, both finishing in a tie for 19th. Meng’s best performance came in the second round when she posted a 2-under 68 highlighted by sharp iron play and confident putting. She was 14th in the field in par-3 scoring, playing those holes at two over par. Lee got off to a hot start with a 72 in her opening round and found most of her success on the par-5s, where she posted a 4.67 scoring average. Both players provided steady contributions that helped Northwestern stay competitive in a field stacked with top-ranked programs.
Hsin Tai Lin and Ashley Yun rounded out the lineup for the ‘Cats. Tai Lin finished 30th while Yun placed 31st. Both players opened their tournaments with their best rounds, each shooting 75 in the first round. Although they were unable to match that level of play in the later rounds, both showed resilience in navigating a demanding course that challenged even the most experienced players. Given the difficulty of Shoreacres, their results provided valuable experience that should help them in upcoming tournaments.
Northwestern now turns its attention to its home event, the Windy City Collegiate Classic. The tournament will be played at the Glen View Club in Golf, Illinois, and it will once again feature one of the nation’s strongest fields. Programs such as Stanford, Duke, Arizona State and Virginia are set to compete, giving the Wildcats another chance to test themselves against elite competition. After two tournaments that featured flashes of promise but also room for growth, Northwestern will look to build momentum and continue its development through the heart of the fall season.
