Ducks Flip the Script on Northwestern

Freshman Sophie Han gave Oregon the early lead with a decisive 5&4 win over Northwestern junior Ashley Yun, winning five holes with pars. The Wildcats briefly evened the match when senior Dianna Lee, this week’s individual stroke-play champion, earned a 5&4 victory over Oregon freshman Shyla Singh.

From there, Oregon surged. Sophomore Tong An edged Hsin Tai Lin 1-up in a rematch of their NCAA meeting earlier this year.

“This weather is so brutal and we needed to stay patient and take each shot at a time,” said An. “With my coach on my side, he helped me stay calm and focused on each shot.”

Romero Clinches Championship for Oregon

WAGR No. 1 Kiara Romero delivered the clinching point, draining a birdie on the 16th to secure a 3&2 win over Megan Meng and put Oregon’s name on the East Lake Cup trophy.

“It’s going to be up and down throughout the whole round in match play,” said Romero. “Staying patient and taking advantage of opportunities at the right time really helped me today.”

Head coach Derek Radley called the win a defining moment.

“This is our third time playing here and I said hopefully third time’s a charm,” Radley said. “For us to win is really, really special. We’ll lean on this as we head toward the National Championship in the spring.”

Sophomore Suvichaya Vinijchaitham also added a point for Oregon, defeating Arianna Lau 1-up to complete the 4–1 victory.

Women’s Championship Results

• Oregon (1) def. Northwestern (3), 4–1
• Sophie Han (Oregon) def. Ashley Yun, 5&4
• Tong An (Oregon) def. Hsin Tai Lin, 1-up
• Dianna Lee (Northwestern) def. Shyla Singh, 5&4
• Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (Oregon) def. Arianna Lau, 1-up
• Kiara Romero (Oregon) def. Megan Meng, 3&2

USC Claims Women’s Consolation

Southern California topped Florida State 4–1, led by senior Catherine Park (3&1) and freshman Sarah Hammett (3&2). Sophomore Jasmine Koo, last year’s East Lake Cup stroke-play champion and current WAGR No. 9, sealed her match with a birdie on 18 to win 1-up over Freya Russell.

“The beginning was really tough — I never play in these types of conditions,” Koo said. “Towards the end, you never really know what’s going to happen in match play, so I just wanted to win my match and secure the win.”

About the East Lake Cup

The East Lake Cup, now in its 11th year, mirrors the NCAA Championship format, with four elite women’s and men’s programs competing in a three-day event broadcast live on Golf Channel. Held at East Lake Golf Club, the home of Bobby Jones, the tournament benefits the East Lake Foundation, which supports community revitalization across Atlanta. Since 2015, the East Lake Cup has raised more than $2.5 million for the Foundation.