Northwestern wrapped up its season at the NCAA Athens Regional, finishing tied for eighth in a loaded 13-team field that featured eight top-50 programs, including No. 1 Auburn.
The ‘Cats opened the tournament with a 2-over team score and sat in 10th place after the first round. Ethan Tseng provided the highlight of the day with a stellar 5-under 66, carding eight birdies, including three straight on holes 13, 14 and 15, to move into a tie for second individually. Despite Tseng’s strong performance, Northwestern entered the final two rounds needing a significant push to climb into the top five and secure a spot at the NCAA Championships.
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Northwestern responded in round two with its best performance of the week, shooting 7-under as a team to jump into contention. Redshirt sophomore Rowan Sullivan paced the Wildcats with a 5-under round that featured seven birdies, while Daniel Svärd added a 2-under effort, highlighted by a birdie on the challenging par-4 first hole. Through 36 holes, Northwestern sat at 5-under overall, six shots behind fifth-place BYU with one round left to play.
The ‘Cats closed the tournament with a solid showing, firing a 4-under final round to finish at 9-under for the week. Svärd led Northwestern on the final day with a 2-under round that included six birdies, split evenly across both nines. Tseng and junior Jeremy Chen each added 1-under rounds, with Tseng making three birdies and Chen recording two.
Northwestern ultimately finished 10 shots shy of the number needed to advance, bringing its season to an end. While the Wildcats fell short of their postseason goal, they competed well against one of the toughest regional fields in the country and closed the year with a respectable finish.
Throughout the three days, the par-71 layout played slightly under par with a scoring average of 70.96. Round one proved to be the toughest, with an average score of 71.92, while the final round proved to be the easiest at 70.23.
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Individually, Tseng led the way for Northwestern, finishing tied for 10th to cap off his collegiate career. It was a fitting finish for the senior, who earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore before battling injuries over the next several seasons and ending his career on a high note. Tseng posted rounds of 66, 71 and 70, made 14 birdies over the week and finished at 6-under. He also ranked fifth in par-3 scoring at 2.92.
Svärd also closed out his Northwestern career with a strong performance, finishing tied for 19th at 4-under. He carded rounds of 71, 69 and 69 while making 13 birdies during the tournament. The Swedish native put together one of the most decorated careers in program history, earning three first-team All-Big Ten selections after beginning his career as Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-Big Ten honoree. He also won two Big Ten individual titles and consistently served as one of Northwestern’s top performers throughout his career.
Sullivan, Chen and freshman Monty Holcombe rounded out Northwestern’s lineup. After opening with a 75, Sullivan bounced back with rounds of 66 and 71 to finish at 1-under and tied for 34th. Chen saved his best round for the final day, shooting a 1-under 70 to finish tied for 49th. Holcombe turned in his best score in round two with an even-par 71 and finished tied for 68th.
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The ‘Cats delivered several strong moments throughout the season and while they would have hoped for a deeper postseason run, they competed hard until the end. Northwestern will now look to replace key leaders in Svärd and Tseng, whose impact on the program extended far beyond this final tournament.
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