Golf: Women shine out west, men stumble down the stretch in Georgia

October 20, 2026

Northwestern’s women’s golf team delivered a standout performance at the Stanford Intercollegiate, securing a fourth-place finish in a competitive 17-team field. The Wildcats, ranked 35th nationally, outpaced several top programs—including UCLA (No.

8), Iowa State (No. 17), and Pepperdine (No.

24)—by navigating a challenging Stanford Golf Course. Stanford’s home advantage proved decisive, with the host Cardinals winning by a wide margin at 28 under, while Northwestern held steady with a final round of 289 (+5) to claim their spot ahead of the field.

Freshman Rebecca Wang led the charge, tying for ninth overall with a 4-under total and a tournament-low 67 in Round 2, fueled by a dominant 31 on the front nine and nine birdies on par-5 holes. Junior Emilie Knai also rebounded strongly, finishing tied for 13th with a 1-under effort, while senior Ashley Yun maintained her consistency with another solid outing at 1 under par on par-4 holes.

Meanwhile, Northwestern’s men’s golf team faced a tougher stretch at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational, slipping from an early lead to a tied 10th-place finish. After a promising start with a 278 (-10) in Round 1—placing them third—consistent struggles on the Lakeside Course saw their scores balloon to 292 (+4) and 298 (+10) in the final two rounds.

Georgia Tech, the host, dominated with a 16-under total, while USC and Georgia Southern secured the second and third spots. The team’s individual highlight came from Carson Looney, who earned second-year honors with a 10-under finish, though the collective effort fell short of expectations as the course proved unforgiving in the latter rounds.