Thursday, March 28
Phoenix, Ariz.
All Day
Northwestern
at
PING/ASU Invitational
Photo by: Thomas Fernandez
‘Cats Roll To Team Title At PING/ASU Invitational
3/30/2024 6:52:00 PM | Women's Golf
Yun places third as Northwestern wins event for second consecutive year
PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 30, 2024) – Paced by top-10 efforts from both Ashley Yun and Jennifer Cai, the Northwestern University women's golf team finished atop a deep field to win the team title at the PING/ASU Invitational for the second time in as many seasons.
Featuring as part of a field that included seven of the nation's top 15 teams in the latest Mizuno Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Coaches Poll, the Wildcats, who are ranked ninth, posted a 54-hole team total of 853 (284-285-284) to top California (285-290-281=856), No. 3 UCLA (284-285-287=856), and No. 15 Arizona State (281-295-280=856) for the team crown. The Bruins' Zoe Campos (69-70-68) shared individual medalist honors with New Mexico State's Emma Bunch (69-70-68) after both finished with nine-under-par 207s.
Yun put together the top 54-hole showing of her young career to lead Northwestern at the Papago Golf Course (par 72; 6,570 yards). The West Covina, Calif. native tallied a pair of rounds in the 60s, opening play with a career-low tying four-under-par 68 ahead of a final-round three-under-par 69 to finish in sole possession of third place with a six-under-par 210 (68-73-69). Following the completion of play, Yun was recognized as the Ann Votik Award winner, which recognizes the top freshman on the individual leaderboard.
Coming off her first career victory at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate earlier in March, Cai continued her impressive play as the postseason approaches. Out of Irvine, Calif., Cai bookended her stay in The Grand Canyon State with three-under-par rounds of 69 to finish as part of a tie for ninth with a three-under-par 213 (69-75-69). She played bogey-free golf in each of the two aforementioned rounds.
Lauryn Nguyen carded three straight even-par rounds of 72 en route to sharing 21st with a 216 (72-72-72), her fifth top-25 finish of 2023-24. Jieni Li handed in an even-par 72 during Friday's second round as part of a 221 (75-72-74) that saw her tie for 43rd, while Dianna Lee, who finished tied for 59th at 223 (79-68-76), helped fuel the Wildcats' charge up the leaderboard during second-round play by firing a four-under-par 68.
Like Yun, Jiayi Wang posted the low 54-hole effort of her career. Competing as an individual, Wang came in under-par in each of her first two rounds, finishing play with a two-under-par 214 (71-70-73) that was highlighted by a second-round two-under-par 70 en route to tying for 15th.
WILDCAT LINEUP (1st; 284-285-284=853)
3rd – Ashley Yun (68-73-69=210)
T-9th – Jennifer Cai (69-75-69=213)
T-15th – Jiayi Wang (71-70-73=214) *
T-21st – Lauryn Nguyen (72-72-72=216)
T-43rd – Jieni Li (75-72-74=221)
T-59th – Dianna Lee (79-68-76=223)
* Competed as an individual
UP NEXT
Northwestern will be idle next week before competing in its final regular season event ahead of the Big Ten Championships when it visits Napa, Calif. for the Silverado Showdown, April 8-10.
Featuring as part of a field that included seven of the nation's top 15 teams in the latest Mizuno Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Coaches Poll, the Wildcats, who are ranked ninth, posted a 54-hole team total of 853 (284-285-284) to top California (285-290-281=856), No. 3 UCLA (284-285-287=856), and No. 15 Arizona State (281-295-280=856) for the team crown. The Bruins' Zoe Campos (69-70-68) shared individual medalist honors with New Mexico State's Emma Bunch (69-70-68) after both finished with nine-under-par 207s.
Yun put together the top 54-hole showing of her young career to lead Northwestern at the Papago Golf Course (par 72; 6,570 yards). The West Covina, Calif. native tallied a pair of rounds in the 60s, opening play with a career-low tying four-under-par 68 ahead of a final-round three-under-par 69 to finish in sole possession of third place with a six-under-par 210 (68-73-69). Following the completion of play, Yun was recognized as the Ann Votik Award winner, which recognizes the top freshman on the individual leaderboard.
Coming off her first career victory at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate earlier in March, Cai continued her impressive play as the postseason approaches. Out of Irvine, Calif., Cai bookended her stay in The Grand Canyon State with three-under-par rounds of 69 to finish as part of a tie for ninth with a three-under-par 213 (69-75-69). She played bogey-free golf in each of the two aforementioned rounds.
Lauryn Nguyen carded three straight even-par rounds of 72 en route to sharing 21st with a 216 (72-72-72), her fifth top-25 finish of 2023-24. Jieni Li handed in an even-par 72 during Friday's second round as part of a 221 (75-72-74) that saw her tie for 43rd, while Dianna Lee, who finished tied for 59th at 223 (79-68-76), helped fuel the Wildcats' charge up the leaderboard during second-round play by firing a four-under-par 68.
Like Yun, Jiayi Wang posted the low 54-hole effort of her career. Competing as an individual, Wang came in under-par in each of her first two rounds, finishing play with a two-under-par 214 (71-70-73) that was highlighted by a second-round two-under-par 70 en route to tying for 15th.
WILDCAT LINEUP (1st; 284-285-284=853)
3rd – Ashley Yun (68-73-69=210)
T-9th – Jennifer Cai (69-75-69=213)
T-15th – Jiayi Wang (71-70-73=214) *
T-21st – Lauryn Nguyen (72-72-72=216)
T-43rd – Jieni Li (75-72-74=221)
T-59th – Dianna Lee (79-68-76=223)
* Competed as an individual
UP NEXT
Northwestern will be idle next week before competing in its final regular season event ahead of the Big Ten Championships when it visits Napa, Calif. for the Silverado Showdown, April 8-10.
Players Mentioned
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