Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Windy City Collegiate Classic
Northwestern Closes Strong as Runner-Up at Windy City
10/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
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Windy City Collegiate Classic Westmoreland CC • Wilmette, Ill. • NU's Place: 2nd/15 teams Golfstat.com Results • Final Results  •  Photo Gallery |
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WILMETTE, Ill. -- After nine holes of play early Monday morning at the Windy City Collegiate Classic, Northwestern seemed lost in 14th place among a 15-team field at its home event at Westmoreland Country Club.
At that point, one of college golf's deepest lineups collectively picked itself up and charged toward the top of the leaderboard. When the dust cleared Tuesday afternoon following a see-saw battle in the final pairing, the Wildcats' strong season rolled forward with a runner-up finish for yet another impressive team result against a nationally renowned field.
Playing among one of the strongest 15-team fields ever assembled for the seven-year-old Windy City, Northwestern started the final round six strokes behind USC and two up on third-place Oklahoma State. Early in the day, the Trojans extended their advantage to nine before the Wildcats came roaring back early on the back nine to pull within a pair. In the end, USC was able to hold off NU by three to win at 12-over 876.
The Trojans' Annie Park captured individual medalist honors at 5-under 211 following back-to-back 69s in the second and third rounds. Ohio State's Lina Aguillon was the runner-up as an individual at 2-under 214.
Northwestern's final round 4-over 292 marked the second-best score in the field on Tuesday behind only Ohio State's 3-under 285, which helped the Buckeyes jump six spots in the standings to place sixth overall. NU's 54-hole total of 15-over 879 (300-287-292) gave it a nine-stroke cushion on third-place Iowa State. Arizona moved up to finish fourth while the Cowgirls faded to fifth.
Junior Kaitlin Park (Tustin, Calif./Beckman) surged 14 spots up the individual standings with a final-round even-par 72 to lead the Wildcats. Her only blemish on the front nine was a mistake at the par-5 eighth hole that led to a double bogey 7. On the back side, she made three birdies against two bogeys for an underpar homecoming and a 54-hole total of 8-over 224 (79-73-72) that represented a great comeback from a tough first round on Monday. Park placed 23rd overall.
Senior Hana Lee (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Wilson) had a tough start Tuesday with three-straight bogeys from Nos. 2 through 4. She turned that direction on its head, however, with birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 on the front, then at 11 and 14 on the back to get all the way down into red numbers. One hiccup at the 17th led to an even-par 72 in the final round and a 12th-place 4-over 220 (75-73-72).
Junior Suchaya Tangkamolprasert (Bangkok, Thailand/Bromsgrove Christian School) came out of the gate firing with birdies on each of her first two holes. Though she gave both back during her front nine, she was able to make the turn at 1-under par for the round following a birdie at No. 9. She would reach 2-under par through 12 holes, but three bogeys after that led to a 1-over 73 and a 10th-place 3-over 219 (73-73-73) in the tournament.
Freshman Hannah Kim (Chula Vista, Calif./Otay Ranch) entered the final round in fifth place but had trouble sustaining the momentum from her sizzling second-round 68 on Monday. Sitting at 5-over par through 12 holes for the final round, Kim stabilized and made birdies at Nos. 13 and 18 to rebound back to a 3-over 75. Kim finished her first-career Windy City Collegiate Classic in eighth place at 2-over 218 (75-68-75).
Sophomore Kacie Komoto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) finished her tournament with a 3-over 75 in the final round, going out in 2-over 38 and nearly coming home in even par if not for a bogey at the last. Komoto placed 27th overall at 9-over 225 (77-73-75).
Three Wildcats played as individuals, led again Tuesday by freshman Sarah Cho (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines), who turned in her third-straight 3-over 75. Cho made eight pars and a birdie at the 503-yard par-5 15th hole during her opening nine of the final round, then things got a little wild on the back, where she closed with a 4-over 40. Cho's 15-over 225 (75-75-75) put her 27th among the field at her first Windy City Collegiate.
Senior Katie Wooliver (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) opened Tuesday with a 1-over 37 during her first nine before signing for a 43 on the back and a final round 8-over 80. Wooliver -- who carried a special Folds of Honor bag during the round -- finished 75th at 25-over 241 (77-84-80).
Sophomore Minjia Luo (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines) completed her Windy City tournament at 28-over 244 (82-81-18).
Northwestern - 2nd/15 • 300-287-292=879 (+15)
T8 -- Hannah Kim -- 75-68-76=218 (+2)
T10 -- Suchaya Tangkamolprasert -- 73-73-73=219 (+3)
12 -- Hana Lee -- 75-73-72=220 (+4)
T23 -- Kaitlin Park -- 79-73-72=224 (+8)
T27 -- Kacie Komoto -- 77-73-75=225 (+9)
T27 -- Sarah Cho * -- 75-75-75=225 (+9)
75 -- Katie Wooliver * -- 77-84-80=241 (+25)
78 -- Minjia Luo * -- 82-81-81=244 (+28)
* Denotes playing as an individual
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