The ’Cats capped off a thrilling postseason run with a 3–2 win over powerhouse Stanford, delivering one of the most memorable upsets in NCAA women’s golf history.
Coming off a sensational Tuesday that saw them edge No. 2 Arkansas and No. 5 Oregon in back-to-back 3–2 thrillers, Northwestern entered Wednesday’s NCAA Championship final with one more towering obstacle: top-ranked Stanford.
Many viewed the Cardinal as one of the greatest college golf teams ever assembled. All five players were ranked inside the top 19 nationally by Clippd. The team had not lost a single stroke play event all season. Even their lowest-ranked player, Kelly Xu — No. 19 in the country — carried a scoring average of 71.46, the 12th-best in program history. With three NCAA titles already to their name, including last year’s, Stanford came in as the heavy favorite.
The odds were clearly stacked against Northwestern.
As head coach Emily Fletcher sat in the media room, she received a message from Luke Donald — former World No. 1, current European Ryder Cup captain and Northwestern golf legend. It was a long, thoughtful text that ended with a line that stuck with her: “The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”
And that’s exactly what the ’Cats did.
Stanford came out strong, taking early leads in three of the first four matches. But as the front nine wore on, Northwestern settled in — clawing back, hole by hole, refusing to let the moment define them. They weren’t just here to compete. They were here to win.
While Yun dropped her match 5&4 to Stanford star Megha Ganne, Northwestern’s depth quickly began to shine. First-year Hsin Tai Lin put together a highlight-reel performance, draining a 50-foot birdie on the par-5 2nd and walking in a chip-in birdie on the par-4 7th. Her clutch up-and-down on 16 sealed a 3&2 win over Meja Örtengren — the No. 5-ranked player in college golf.
First a 50-footer for birdie, now a chip-in — Hsin Tai Lin is putting on a clinic. https://t.co/9cr4EBi8YM
— Inside NU (@insidenu) May 21, 2025
Next came senior Lauryn Nguyen, the leader of the team, who had celebrated her birthday during Tuesday’s quarterfinal and semifinal matches. Paired with Stanford’s Paula Martín Sampedro (No. 8), Nguyen played steady, confident golf throughout. Tied heading to the 18th, she hit a perfect wedge and calmly rolled in the birdie putt to win her match and give Northwestern its second point.
In match four, Elise Lee and Xu traded momentum throughout. Lee briefly held a late 1UP lead, but Xu answered with back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17. Lee’s birdie putt on 18 narrowly lipped out, giving Xu the 1UP victory and tying the overall score at 2–2.
Once again, everything came down to Dianna Lee.
Just one day after knocking off No. 2-ranked Kiara Romero of Oregon in the semifinals, Lee found herself in another high-stakes showdown — this time against Stanford’s Andrea Revuelta, the No. 7 player in the country. Lee came out sharp, playing fearless, composed golf and building a commanding 3UP lead through 13 holes. But Revuelta wouldn’t back down. The Cardinal standout clawed her way back, winning two of the next four holes to trim Lee’s advantage to 1UP heading to the 18th.
Both players found the fairway off the tee and laid up with precision. Their third shots landed just inside 20 feet. Lee’s birdie attempt slid past the cup and rolled five feet beyond. Revuelta calmly two-putted for par — leaving Lee with one putt to win the national championship.
Lee, standing over a five-footer with the national title on the line, didn’t blink.
She drained it — sealing the national title and delivering a moment that will live forever in Northwestern history.
WHAT A CLUTCH PUTT FROM DIANNA LEE! NORTHWESTERN WOMEN’S GOLF WINS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! https://t.co/HvUTb8wzcm
— Inside NU (@insidenu) May 22, 2025
“I’m on such a high right now,” Lee said after the win. “Especially with the championship being in my hometown, it means absolutely everything to me. It’s so incredibly special. It’s like no other — you can’t even explain what it means to win a championship in your hometown.”
The emotion was just as powerful for head coach Emily Fletcher, who reflected on her team’s composure and quiet confidence throughout the championship run.
“They just kept plodding along. They never got ahead of themselves. I’m so proud of them. It’s not us — they did it. It was amazing. And I just think a little bit of belief in yourself can go a long way.”
Fletcher made it clear: this win wasn’t about proving people wrong — it was about believing in each other.
“It’s about doing what this group thought they could do,” she told Golf Channel. “They didn’t go out to try to prove anybody wrong. They just went out to be themselves and to compete as hard as they could. And that was enough.”
It was, in every way, a storybook ending.
And the future remains bright in Evanston. While Nguyen — the team’s senior leader — will graduate and turn professional, the rest of the title-winning lineup returns: Yun, Tai Lin, Elise Lee and Dianna Lee. The ’Cats will also add Arianna Lau, a highly touted recruit from Hong Kong ranked No. 52 in the world amateur rankings. First-year Megan Meng, a former No. 16-ranked high school recruit, didn’t appear in match play this postseason but remains a high-upside talent expected to play a key role moving forward.
The bar has been raised — not just for Northwestern, but for what’s possible when belief meets execution. This wasn’t a one-time spark. It was the foundation of something lasting.
The ’Cats aren’t just national champions.
They’re just getting started.