Northwestern rebounded from a tough opening round and finished fifth at Colleton River Collegiate in Bluffton, S.C.. The field was not as strong as usual for NU — and a good bit weaker than the that of the Prestige at PGA West two weeks ago, where the ’Cats finished sixth — but it still included three top-50 teams.
In the first round, the ‘Cats posted their highest score of the tournament, shooting 7-over as a team. Rowan Sullivan recorded the team’s only under-par round, shooting a 1-under 71 with four birdies, including three in a four-hole stretch from holes 5 through 8. Northwestern sat 12th in the 15-team field after day one.
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The second round was Northwestern’s best of the week. NU shot 7-under as a team, led by Daniel Svärd and Sullivan. Svärd fired a 5-under round with seven birdies, while Sullivan shot 4-under with six birdies. After 36 holes, Sullivan stood fourth individually and was in the mix near the top of the leaderboard. Northwestern climbed to sixth overall heading into the final day.
On the final day, the ‘Cats shot 2-under as a team. Mark Gazi finished 2-under, highlighted by a hole-out eagle on the par-4 14th. Sullivan posted his third straight under-par round, shooting 1-under with five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 second. Northwestern moved up one more spot to finish fifth for the tournament.
The course played fairly tough overall. The scoring average on the par-72 layout was 73.60. The toughest round came on the final day at 73.91, while the lowest scoring was in round two at 73.03. The most difficult hole was the 232-yard par-3 17th, which played to a 3.45 average. The easiest was the par-5 second, which played to a 4.64 average. Northwestern did its best work on the par 4s, ranking third in the field with a 4.09 scoring average.
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Rowan Sullivan led the way for NU, shooting 6-under and tying for third. He posted rounds of 71, 68 and 71 and delivered steady play all week. The sophomore tied for second in the field with 15 birdies and added an eagle. It was a strong tournament from start to finish.
Daniel Svärd and Monty Holcombe, who competed as an individual, also turned in impressive weeks. Svärd carded rounds of 75, 67 and 73. His second round featured a key birdie stretch on holes 14 through 16, and he ranked sixth in the field on par 3s at even par. He finished 15th at 1-under. Holcombe was consistent with rounds of 73, 71 and 72, making three birdies in each round. The England native placed 19th and finished even-par.
Gazi and Jeremy Chen turned in solid tournaments for the ‘Cats. Gazi posted rounds of 74, 75 and 70. He finished 3-over and tied for 39th, capped by a strong closing round that helped Northwestern climb the leaderboard on the final day. Chen shot 76, 73 and 72 and leaned on steady ball-striking and patience. He made the second most pars in the field with 41 over 54 holes and finished 48th at 5-over.
Ethan Tseng and Isaac Lee, who competed as an individual, also teed it up for NU. Tseng put together his best round in his second 18 holes, firing a 73 with five birdies to place 69th. Lee saved his best for last, closing with a 75 that included four birdies, and he finished 79th.
Northwestern’s fifth-place finish reflected a team that responded well after a difficult opening round. With Sullivan continuing to trend upward and multiple contributors flashing low rounds across the week, the ‘Cats showed they have the scoring potential to contend when they string together cleaner starts. Northwestern will have a few weeks off before returning to action at The Goodwin from March 26 to 28. The break should give the ‘Cats time to sharpen the early-round execution and carry the momentum of another strong finish into the heart of the spring slate.
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