MAINEVILLE, Ohio – Junior Janet Mao fired a bogey-free, six-under 66 in the final round of the 2018 Big Ten Women's Golf Championship at TPC River's Bend (Par-72; 6,357 yards), the second-lowest round in program history. Northwestern's Sunday 280 was the best round of the weekend in southern Ohio, and equaled the team's best score of the 2017-18 season as the 'Cats gear up for an NCAA Regional invite.
2018 Big Ten Championship – TEAM Leaderboard
2018 Big Ten Championship – INDIVIDUAL Leaderboard
Mao opened with a par and then birdied No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 in succession to get off to a roaring start. She added two-more in the middle of her round on two of the course's longest holes, the 524-yard No. 8, and the 457-yard No. 11. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native's final birdie of the day came on the 410-yard, Par-4, No. 17, where a beautiful, pin-high wedge approach from the fairway allowed her to sink a 15-foot putt to move to 6-under for the day. The 66 equals the second-best score in program history. The three-day, 4-under 212 is the best 54-hole tournament score of the junior's college career. She earned a spot, along with five others, on the Big Ten All-Championships Team honors for her effort.
Senior Hannah Kim also posted her best round of the competition on the final day, registering five birdies, three on the back-nine, on her way to a 2-under 70. The two-time Mary Fossum Award winner and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year elicited one of the biggest cheers of the weekend from the gallery on Sunday, holing a twisting, 45-foot putt for birdie on the Par-3 seventh early in the day. Senior Sarah Cho and sophomore Brooke Riley, making her Big Ten Championships debut, rounded out the scoring quartet for the 'Cats, both firing even-par 72's in the third round.
The Wildcats placed all six golfers in the Top-30 this weekend, the most balanced attack in the field. Eventual champions Michigan State had three in the Top-30, while runner-up Maryland had four. No other team had more than four.
Northwestern tied for the tournament lead with 49 birdies, 28 of which came on the final day of competition. The 8-under 280 was the best round of any team on the weekend, and the lowest of the year for the 'Cats, also posted a 280 in the second round of September's Mason Rudolph Championship, and a 280 in the second round of the (Par-71) Stanford Intercollegiate.
The field for the 2018 NCAA Golf Championships will be announced live on the Golf Channel on Wednesday, April 25, at 4:30 p.m. CT. Head coach Emily Fletcher and the Wildcats have improved their NCAA Championships finish in each of the last four years, culminating in a stroke play championship, No. 1 match play seed and runner-up result last spring in front of a roaring hometown crowd at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
BTN will debut coverage of the Big Ten Women's Golf Championships on Monday, April 30, at 5 p.m. ET.
Northwestern – 4/14 • 293-292-280 = 865 (+1)
T4 – Janet Mao -- 74-72-66 = 212 (-4)
T22 – Hannah Kim -- 76-73-70 = 219 (+3)
T25 – Stephanie Lau – 71-75-75 = 221 (+5)
T25 – Monica Matsubara -- 74-72-72 = 221 (+5)
T25 – Brooke Riley -- 74-75-75 = 221 (+5)
T30 – Sarah Cho -- 74-76-72 = 222 (+6)
TPC River's Bend hosted the Big Ten Women's Golf (#B1GWGolf) Championships this year for the second consecutive spring. It was named by Golf Digest among the "Top 10 Best New Private Clubs in the U.S." after it opened in 2001. The Arnold Palmer-designed course also has been recognized as one of Ohio's Best Courses in State by Golf Digest in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.
The course has previously hosted the Web.com Tour's Chiquita Classic, the PGA TOUR Champions Kroger Classic, and the Junior PGA Championship.Complementing the golf course is an expansive, 12-acre practice facility featuring multiple chipping and putting areas.
2018 Big Ten Championship – TEAM Leaderboard
2018 Big Ten Championship – INDIVIDUAL Leaderboard
Mao opened with a par and then birdied No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 in succession to get off to a roaring start. She added two-more in the middle of her round on two of the course's longest holes, the 524-yard No. 8, and the 457-yard No. 11. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native's final birdie of the day came on the 410-yard, Par-4, No. 17, where a beautiful, pin-high wedge approach from the fairway allowed her to sink a 15-foot putt to move to 6-under for the day. The 66 equals the second-best score in program history. The three-day, 4-under 212 is the best 54-hole tournament score of the junior's college career. She earned a spot, along with five others, on the Big Ten All-Championships Team honors for her effort.
Senior Hannah Kim also posted her best round of the competition on the final day, registering five birdies, three on the back-nine, on her way to a 2-under 70. The two-time Mary Fossum Award winner and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year elicited one of the biggest cheers of the weekend from the gallery on Sunday, holing a twisting, 45-foot putt for birdie on the Par-3 seventh early in the day. Senior Sarah Cho and sophomore Brooke Riley, making her Big Ten Championships debut, rounded out the scoring quartet for the 'Cats, both firing even-par 72's in the third round.
The Wildcats placed all six golfers in the Top-30 this weekend, the most balanced attack in the field. Eventual champions Michigan State had three in the Top-30, while runner-up Maryland had four. No other team had more than four.
Northwestern tied for the tournament lead with 49 birdies, 28 of which came on the final day of competition. The 8-under 280 was the best round of any team on the weekend, and the lowest of the year for the 'Cats, also posted a 280 in the second round of September's Mason Rudolph Championship, and a 280 in the second round of the (Par-71) Stanford Intercollegiate.
The field for the 2018 NCAA Golf Championships will be announced live on the Golf Channel on Wednesday, April 25, at 4:30 p.m. CT. Head coach Emily Fletcher and the Wildcats have improved their NCAA Championships finish in each of the last four years, culminating in a stroke play championship, No. 1 match play seed and runner-up result last spring in front of a roaring hometown crowd at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
BTN will debut coverage of the Big Ten Women's Golf Championships on Monday, April 30, at 5 p.m. ET.
Northwestern – 4/14 • 293-292-280 = 865 (+1)
T4 – Janet Mao -- 74-72-66 = 212 (-4)
T22 – Hannah Kim -- 76-73-70 = 219 (+3)
T25 – Stephanie Lau – 71-75-75 = 221 (+5)
T25 – Monica Matsubara -- 74-72-72 = 221 (+5)
T25 – Brooke Riley -- 74-75-75 = 221 (+5)
T30 – Sarah Cho -- 74-76-72 = 222 (+6)
TPC River's Bend hosted the Big Ten Women's Golf (#B1GWGolf) Championships this year for the second consecutive spring. It was named by Golf Digest among the "Top 10 Best New Private Clubs in the U.S." after it opened in 2001. The Arnold Palmer-designed course also has been recognized as one of Ohio's Best Courses in State by Golf Digest in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.
The course has previously hosted the Web.com Tour's Chiquita Classic, the PGA TOUR Champions Kroger Classic, and the Junior PGA Championship.Complementing the golf course is an expansive, 12-acre practice facility featuring multiple chipping and putting areas.