Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Big Ten Championship
Men's Golf Wins Third Straight Big Ten Title
5/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
May 6, 2001
Urbana, Ill. - The three-peat chant can once again be heard on the Northwestern campus. For the second time in as many weeks, a Wildcat team has won its third consecutive Big Ten Title.
Last weekend it was the women's tennis team. This time it is men's golf. NU shot a 9-under-par 279 in the final round to finish 13 strokes ahead of second-place Purdue. NU was 20-under for the tournament, with four `Cats in the top ten.
Senior Luke Donald birdied three holes on the back nine to come from one down and give him his second consecutive Big Ten medalist honor. Donald finished the day 1-under and two strokes in front of Ohio State's Mike Austin. He was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Year and won the Les Bolstad Award for lowest stroke average. This was the third time in his career he won each of these honors. Donald is currently on a four-tournament win streak.
Freshman Tom Johnson also shot a 1-under for the day to finish 4-under for the tournament and in a tie for fourth place. Johnson stormed back from an opening-round 76 to fire two rounds in the 60's on Saturday and a 71 in the final. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was also named to the All-Big Ten team.
Chris Thayer carded a 5-under-par 67 on Sunday to put him alongside Johnson in fourth place. Thayer was also named to the All-Big Ten team. Scott Harrington shot his best round of the Championships Sunday with a 2-under-par 70, finishing in a tie for eighth. T.C. Ford rounded out the Wildcat contingency with a 4-over-par 76, placing him in a tie for 44th.
Head coach Pat Goss was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fourth time in just five years at the helm of the Wildcat program.
TEAM
1. NORTHWESTERN 289-280-284-279=1,132
2. Purdue 286-283-285-291=1,145
3. Ohio State 289-287-284-291=1,151
4. Minnesota 291-291-286-284=1,152
5. Iowa 300-292-284-277=1,153
6. Michigan State 285-294-292-290=1,161
7. Wisconsin 301-287-292-288=1,168
Michigan 296-293-294-285=1,168
9. Penn State 293-291-289-296=1,169
10. Illinois 294-291-294-294=1,173
11. Indiana 302-304-305-294=1,205
NORTHWESTERN SCORES
1. Luke Donald 70-65-73-71=279 t-4. Tom Johnson 76-69-68-71=284 t-4. Chris Thayer 72-74-71-67=284 t-8. Scott Harrington 71-72-73-70=286 t-44. T.C. Ford 76-76-72-76=300
