After a disappointing start to the season, the naked male golf course returned home for the Stephens Cup at the Golf Club shoreacres in Lake Bluff, Illinois. The field presented the 7 best Texas and LSU programs, and the CATS were faced with a difficult competition. Naked played three laps of a stroke before a match day and delivered a solid performance which obtained a fourth place.
On the first day, Northwestern opened with an equal round. The Rowan Sullivan transfer led with a 2-sous 68, while Jeremy Chen and Daniel Svärd followed with cycles of 69 and 70. The Cats only stood three shots on the head and were at a time to strike.
In the second round, Nu collectively carded 1 sous. Sullivan and Svärd shone again, each displaying 3 sous. Sullivan has sorted up two of his last four holes, and Svärd has sneaked three of his last four. The cats went 9 under the team on this section and gained momentum in the closing tour.
Northwestern continued to build during the final round, pulling 2 sous. Chen punctuated the team with an effort of 3 under highlighted by the birdies on the holes 14 to 16. Svärd remained stable with a round of 1, and Ethan Tseng added an equal score. Svärd’s end of Birdie on the eighth difficult per-3 hole (the team started on the 10th) helped naked the Texas and obtaining a place in the match against Arizona for third place.
The route played hard during the three game cycles of stroke. The average rating was 70.68 with the most difficult opening tower at 70.95. Only four holes played under the peer, led by the 15th par-5 to 4.39. The hardest test was the ninth by 4, which was on average 0.29 on s. Northwestern managed the PAR-3s better than most, ranking third in the field with an average of 3.17. The Cats also showed consistency and led the tournament with 185 pars on the three towers.
Individually, Daniel Svärd and Rowan Sullivan gave the pace. Svärd gathered towers of 70, 67 and 69. He ranked fourth in par-4 with 3.97 and ninth in score par-3 in. He closed 4 sous to equalize the third. Sullivan also impressed, leading the field by marking par-4 to 3 sous. Its towers of 68, 67 and 72 put it 3 sous and equally in the seventh.
Jeremy Chen, Ethan Tseng and Monty Holcombe also contributed solid performance. Chen recorded scores of 69, 74 and 67 to equalize the 16th in peer. He led the ground by scoring out-3 with an average of 2.83 and posted one of the best weeks of his naked career. Tseng rebounded after an opening of 74 with towers of 71 and 70. He was 5 years old on the last four holes of his last two laps and equally in the 29th row. Holcombe’s best performance came in the first round with a 3 against 73. The first year ended in 34th.
After three stroke game cycles, the CATS turned their attention to the match match on Wednesday against Arizona in a battle for third place.
Northwestern fell just short, falling 3-2. In the opening match, Jeremy Chen faced Zach Pollo in Arizona. Chen started quickly, passing through two holes and giving the tone with a regular game. The two exchanged holes throughout the round, never separated by more than one. After 16 holes, they were attached, but Pollo found another equipment and purified the 17 and 18 year olds. Chen responded with a birdie on the last, but it was not enough because Pollo claimed point 1UP.
During the second match, Monty Holcombe de Northwestern knew the Dillon Dean de l’Arizona. Dean was unshakable early, wrapping 13 consecutive pars which slowly built an advance of 4UP Commander. Holcombe showed resilience, taking holes 14 and 16 to apply pressure and keep the match alive. Even with the late thrust, the deficit turned out to overcome. The two players sneakted the 17th par-4, and Dean won a 2 and 1 victory.
Match three saw Ethan Tseng align against Connor Hamm of Arizona in one of the most competitive pairs of the day. None of the two players held an advance of more than 2up, and the momentum changed from front and back to each stretch of holes. Tseng entered the last stretch of 13, then delivered his best golf course of the week. He sorted out 14 and 15 to enter the advantage, and after retaining Hamm’s charge, he crowned the match with another Birdie out of 18 to win 1UP and guarantee a point for Northwestern.
The fourth match presented a marquee confrontation between Daniel Svärd, ranked 57th in the world amateur ranking, and Filip Jakubcik of Arizona, ranked eighth. The two players were sharp on the first nine, each 1-sous carding and heading towards the square turn. On the nine rear, Jakubcik took control of the 11th by 4, then set up in a section of five consecutive pars. Svärd continued to fight but could not perceive the difficult finishing holes. Jakubcik closed game 3 and 2 to give Arizona another point.
During the last match, Rowan Sullivan faced William Wistrand in a duel that took the distance. The two stews matching the 3 and 4 holes and none of the two players has ever led by more than one. Sullivan found himself dragging through a hole with only two to play, but he saved the best for the end. One out of 17 sneakers leveled the match, and another out of 18 sealed a 1up dramatic victory which gave north-west its second point of the day.
Although the “Cats would have liked to get third place, they left shoreacres with precious experience and confidence after pushing a talented team from Arizona at the limit. Northwestern will return to competition on September 29 and 30 at the Windon Memorial Classic in Lake Forest, where they will serve as hosts and seek to continue to take momentum in the middle of the fall season.
