Following a disappointing start to the season, NU men’s golf returned home for the Stephens Cup at Shoreacres Golf Club in Lake Bluff, Illinois. The field featured top-7 programs Texas and LSU, and the ‘Cats faced tough competition. NU played three rounds of stroke play before a day of match play and delivered a strong performance that earned a fourth-place finish.
On day one, Northwestern opened with an even-par round. Transfer Rowan Sullivan led with a 2-under 68, while Jeremy Chen and Daniel Svärd followed with rounds of 69 and 70. The ‘Cats stood just three shots off the lead and were in striking distance.
In round two, NU collectively carded 1-under. Sullivan and Svärd again shined, each posting 3-under. Sullivan birdied two of his last four holes, and Svärd birdied three of his final four. The ‘Cats went 9-under as a team over that stretch and carried momentum into the closing round.
Northwestern continued to build in the final round, shooting 2-under. Chen paced the team with a 3-under effort highlighted by birdies on holes 14 through 16. Svärd stayed steady with a 1-under round, and Ethan Tseng added an even-par score. Svärd’s late birdie on the challenging par-3 eighth hole (the team started on 10) helped NU edge Texas and secure a spot in match play against Arizona for third place.
The course played tough across the three rounds of stroke play. The scoring average was 70.68 with the opening round the most difficult at 70.95. Only four holes played under par, led by the par-5 15th at 4.39. The hardest test was the par-4 ninth, which averaged 0.29 over par. Northwestern handled the par-3s better than most, ranking third in the field with an average of 3.17. The ‘Cats also showed consistency and led the tournament with 185 pars across the three rounds.
Individually, Daniel Svärd and Rowan Sullivan set the pace. Svärd put together rounds of 70, 67 and 69. He ranked fourth in par-4 scoring at 3.97 and ninth in par-3 scoring at even par. He closed at 4-under to tie for third. Sullivan impressed as well, leading the field in par-4 scoring at 3-under. His rounds of 68, 67 and 72 put him at 3-under and tied for seventh.
Jeremy Chen, Ethan Tseng and Monty Holcombe also contributed strong performances. Chen recorded scores of 69, 74 and 67 to tie for 16th at even par. He led the field in par-3 scoring with an average of 2.83 and posted one of the best weeks of his NU career. Tseng rebounded after an opening 74 with rounds of 71 and 70. He was 5-under over the final four holes of his last two rounds and tied for 29th. Holcombe’s best showing came in the first round with a 3-over 73. The first-year finished in 34th.
After three rounds of stroke play, the ‘Cats turned their attention to match play on Wednesday against Arizona in a battle for third place.
Northwestern came up just short, falling 3-2. In the opening match, Jeremy Chen faced Arizona’s Zach Pollo. Chen started quickly, going 1UP through two holes and setting the tone with steady play. The two exchanged holes throughout the round, never separated by more than one. After 16 holes they were tied, but Pollo found another gear and birdied both 17 and 18. Chen answered with a birdie on the last, but it was not enough as Pollo claimed the point 1UP.
In the second match, Northwestern’s Monty Holcombe teed off against Arizona’s Dillon Dean. Dean was unshakable early, reeling off 13 straight pars that slowly built him a commanding 4UP lead. Holcombe showed resilience, taking holes 14 and 16 to apply pressure and keep the match alive. Even with the late push, the deficit proved too much to overcome. Both players birdied the par-4 17th, and Dean clinched a 2&1 win.
Match three saw Ethan Tseng line up against Arizona’s Connor Hamm in one of the most competitive pairings of the day. Neither player held a lead larger than 2UP, and the momentum shifted back and forth with each stretch of holes. Tseng entered the final stretch tied through 13 and then delivered his best golf of the week. He birdied 14 and 15 to grab the advantage, and after holding off Hamm’s charge, he capped the match with another birdie on 18 to win 1UP and secure a point for Northwestern.
The fourth match featured a marquee showdown between Daniel Svärd, ranked 57th in the world amateur rankings, and Arizona’s Filip Jakubcik, ranked eighth. Both players were sharp on the front nine, each carding 1-under and heading to the turn all square. On the back nine, Jakubcik gained control by birdieing the par-4 11th and then settled into a stretch of five straight pars. Svärd kept fighting but could not break through on the challenging finishing holes. Jakubcik closed out the match 3&2 to give Arizona another point.
In the final match, Rowan Sullivan faced William Wistrand in a duel that went the distance. The two matched birdies on holes 3 and 4 and neither player ever led by more than one. Sullivan found himself trailing by a hole with just two to play, but he saved his best for last. A birdie on 17 leveled the match, and another on 18 sealed a dramatic 1UP victory that gave Northwestern its second point of the day.
Although the ‘Cats would have liked to secure third place, they left Shoreacres with valuable experience and confidence after pushing a talented Arizona team to the limit. Northwestern will return to competition on September 29 and 30 at the Windon Memorial Classic in Lake Forest, where they will serve as hosts and look to keep building momentum in the middle of the fall season.
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