Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Tame Elements For Day 1 Lead At NCAA Championships
5/19/2017 8:19:00 PM | Women's Golf
SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – Led by sophomore Janet Mao and three student-athletes in the Top-9, Northwestern (301, +13) sits atop the 2017 NCAA Women's Golf Championships leaderboard after 18 challenging holes at Rich Harvest Farms.
LIVE LEADERBOARD – 2017 NCAA Women's Golf Championship
PURCHASE TICKETS
The weather was intrusive, with heavy rain and 20mph winds throughout the morning and into the early evening. The rain subsided over the course of the round, but the bitter cold and wind remained. Because the field numbered 24 teams plus individuals, round one tee times were split into the morning and afternoon on Friday. When the early group wrapped up, no team was better than 23-over, with five of the 12 at +30 and up.
Mao had one of the day's biggest highlights early in the round when, after a bogey on No. 1, she stuck her approach to 15-feet on the 459-yard, Par-5 No. 2. The sophomore sank the putt for an eagle three, and also birdied No. 9 to finish the front side of Rich Harvest Farms at 1-under. She the drained a 13-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, one of only six birdies surrendered by that hole all day. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native finished the day at 1-over, just one stroke back of co-leaders August Kim (Purdue) and Elodie Van Dievoet (Michigan) in what was a great day of golf for the Big Ten Conference.
"I think coming into the round we had a lot of really good energy," Mao said after the round finished near 8 p.m., more than six hours after it began. "We have a lot of support out here between of the coaches, parents, athletic department staff, the boys' team, and the [non-playing members of our] team came out so we just had a lot of really good energy and I think that really helped us out. We're really comfortable playing in conditions like this. If we can just keep doing what we're doing, it will go well."
Lau played the back-nine at 1-under after birdies on No. 13 and No. 15 to finish the day at 3-over and tied for ninth, while junior Hannah Kim stuck her approach from the fairway mere feet from the hole on No. 18 and finished with a birdie to also get to 3-over.
"It felt like a day of survival out there," head coach Emily Fletcher said. "It was a long day. It really was just a battle out there. Our kids did such a good job today of just putting their head down and playing each hole as a team. We really tried to make sure they were prepared clothing-wise, extra socks, keeping their feet dry, just the little things that we can try and do for them. I'm so proud of their efforts today, they just really kept the golf course in front of them and didn't compound any mistakes and got over things when they did make mistakes. I think the weather won today, I think we survived, and I'm just really pleased with our effort."
Northwestern is scheduled to tee off Saturday's second round at 8:36 a.m. paired on the No. 10 tee with Miami and Kent State, the same playing partners as round one.
Northwestern – 1/24 • 301-R2-R3-R4 = 301 (+13)
T3 – Janet MAO – 73-R2-R3-R4=73 (+1)
T9 – Hannah KIM – 75-R2-R3-R4=75 (+3)
T9 – Stephanie LAU – 75-R2-R3-R4=75 (+3)
T33 – Sarah CHO – 78-R2-R3-R4=78 (+5)
T33 – Kacie KOMOTO – 78-R2-R3-R4=78 (+5)
The NCAA Women's Golf Championhips begin with three days of stroke play (18 holes per day), with the field cut to 15 teams after Sunday's action in preparation for one final day of stroke play on Monday to determine the individual medalist and the match play bracket. The Top-8 teams after four days will advance to match play, with quarterfinal and semifinal matches
Last season Northwestern earned a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, hosted at Eugene (OR) Country Club, the best result in program history. The Wildcats missed a Top-8 invitation to match play by just a single stroke. Fletcher and Miller return all five golfers from that lineup this year in Sugar Grove, one that was the youngest of any team at last season's event.
In each of the program's last four appearances in the NCAA Championships, it has posted the best finish in Northwestern history. The 'Cats earned 15th-place results in 2013 and 2014, a 10th-place finish in 2015 and then a ninth-place standing last spring.
The #B1GCats tamed the elements today on their way to the top of the #NCAAGolf R1 leaderboard at Rich Harvest Farms. https://t.co/AgU9PRRBxS
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 20, 2017
LIVE LEADERBOARD – 2017 NCAA Women's Golf Championship
PURCHASE TICKETS
The weather was intrusive, with heavy rain and 20mph winds throughout the morning and into the early evening. The rain subsided over the course of the round, but the bitter cold and wind remained. Because the field numbered 24 teams plus individuals, round one tee times were split into the morning and afternoon on Friday. When the early group wrapped up, no team was better than 23-over, with five of the 12 at +30 and up.
How are conditions in Sugar Grove today for R1 of #NCAAGolf?
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 19, 2017
Any weather is golf weather if you play golf in it. #B1GCats | #BurnTheShips pic.twitter.com/RtuG2PWXt3
Mao had one of the day's biggest highlights early in the round when, after a bogey on No. 1, she stuck her approach to 15-feet on the 459-yard, Par-5 No. 2. The sophomore sank the putt for an eagle three, and also birdied No. 9 to finish the front side of Rich Harvest Farms at 1-under. She the drained a 13-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, one of only six birdies surrendered by that hole all day. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native finished the day at 1-over, just one stroke back of co-leaders August Kim (Purdue) and Elodie Van Dievoet (Michigan) in what was a great day of golf for the Big Ten Conference.
While most of the field is making bogeys, Janet Mao hits 2nd shot to 15ft & sinks an EAGLE putt on No.2!https://t.co/l8cNNCQK2j #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/NwbZ6MQEd0
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 19, 2017
"I think coming into the round we had a lot of really good energy," Mao said after the round finished near 8 p.m., more than six hours after it began. "We have a lot of support out here between of the coaches, parents, athletic department staff, the boys' team, and the [non-playing members of our] team came out so we just had a lot of really good energy and I think that really helped us out. We're really comfortable playing in conditions like this. If we can just keep doing what we're doing, it will go well."
Lau played the back-nine at 1-under after birdies on No. 13 and No. 15 to finish the day at 3-over and tied for ninth, while junior Hannah Kim stuck her approach from the fairway mere feet from the hole on No. 18 and finished with a birdie to also get to 3-over.
"It felt like a day of survival out there," head coach Emily Fletcher said. "It was a long day. It really was just a battle out there. Our kids did such a good job today of just putting their head down and playing each hole as a team. We really tried to make sure they were prepared clothing-wise, extra socks, keeping their feet dry, just the little things that we can try and do for them. I'm so proud of their efforts today, they just really kept the golf course in front of them and didn't compound any mistakes and got over things when they did make mistakes. I think the weather won today, I think we survived, and I'm just really pleased with our effort."
Northwestern is scheduled to tee off Saturday's second round at 8:36 a.m. paired on the No. 10 tee with Miami and Kent State, the same playing partners as round one.
Northwestern – 1/24 • 301-R2-R3-R4 = 301 (+13)
T3 – Janet MAO – 73-R2-R3-R4=73 (+1)
T9 – Hannah KIM – 75-R2-R3-R4=75 (+3)
T9 – Stephanie LAU – 75-R2-R3-R4=75 (+3)
T33 – Sarah CHO – 78-R2-R3-R4=78 (+5)
T33 – Kacie KOMOTO – 78-R2-R3-R4=78 (+5)
It's time. #NCAAGolf#B1GCats | #BurnTheShips https://t.co/NyTMGHCggn
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 19, 2017
The NCAA Women's Golf Championhips begin with three days of stroke play (18 holes per day), with the field cut to 15 teams after Sunday's action in preparation for one final day of stroke play on Monday to determine the individual medalist and the match play bracket. The Top-8 teams after four days will advance to match play, with quarterfinal and semifinal matches
Last season Northwestern earned a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, hosted at Eugene (OR) Country Club, the best result in program history. The Wildcats missed a Top-8 invitation to match play by just a single stroke. Fletcher and Miller return all five golfers from that lineup this year in Sugar Grove, one that was the youngest of any team at last season's event.
In each of the program's last four appearances in the NCAA Championships, it has posted the best finish in Northwestern history. The 'Cats earned 15th-place results in 2013 and 2014, a 10th-place finish in 2015 and then a ninth-place standing last spring.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
Women's Golf - Emily Fletcher Joins B1G Today (5/27/25)
Wednesday, May 28
Women's Golf - NCAA National Championship Match Cinematic Recap (5/21/25)
Thursday, May 22
Women's Golf - 'Cats Claim First National Championship in Program History (5/21/25)
Thursday, May 22
Women's Golf - 'Cats Defeat Ducks to Punch Ticket to National Championship (5/21/25)
Wednesday, May 21
