Men’s golf: ‘Cats cap off fall season with dominant final round, securing second consecutive victory

Northwestern delivered an impressive final round, clinching both team and individual titles.

After a memorable victory at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, Northwestern traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete in The Clerico. The 13-team field was highlighted by 18th-ranked Duke and included three teams ranked in the top 36, with NU among them. Hosted at the Oaks Country Club, the tournament featured challenging conditions, as the wind consistently gusted between 20 and 25 miles per hour. Facing a nine-shot deficit at the beginning of the final round, the Wildcats delivered one of their best rounds of the season, rallying to secure an impressive eight-shot victory.

In the first round, Northwestern got off to a solid start, posting a cumulative score of 4-over. Senior Cameron Adam carried his momentum from Scotland, shooting a standout 3-under 67—the only under-par round for NU on day one. Junior Daniel Svärd also had a quality round, carding a 71 that included three birdies in his first four holes. The Wildcats were in a good position after the first 18 holes, only one shot back of the lead.

Round two proved much tougher for the ‘Cats, who played 36 holes in one day. Following 20 mph winds in the morning, gusts increased to nearly 30 in the afternoon, resulting in a 9-over round for Northwestern. However, Adam and sophomore Niall Shiels-Donegan managed to post rounds of 70, which were commendable given the conditions, leaving NU still in third place, eight shots off the lead.

The ‘Cats saved their best for last, recording the only under-par round of the week at 1-under. They quickly erased the deficit, with Svärd leading the charge. The Swedish native was 4-under through his first seven holes after starting on the second in a shotgun format, finishing his remarkable day with a birdie on the first hole. His 5-under round was tied for the best of the tournament. Adam maintained his consistent play, shooting even-par in the final round to finish at 3-under overall, securing his first collegiate victory. With the team’s 1-under round, NU grabbed a commanding win at 12-over, highlighting just how challenging the conditions were to secure the title.

All three rounds played over par for the field, with the final round being the most difficult, averaging 74.53 on a par 70. This makes NU’s 1-under round and Svärd’s 5-under performance all the more impressive. Only two holes played under par throughout the tournament, yet Northwestern led the field with a total of 42 birdies and excelled on par-4s.

Individually, Cameron Adam led both the team and the field, winning the tournament at 3-under par. Not only did he secure the title, but he was also the only player to finish under par. Coming off a second-place finish at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, Adam built on his momentum with the victory. He shot 67, 70 and 70, demonstrating his consistency by making the second-most pars during the week with 39. He also led the field in par-4 scoring average at 3.89. Adam is playing his best golf of his collegiate career and will look to build on that when the season picks back up in late winter.

Daniel Svärd and Niall Shiels-Donegan had impressive tournaments for NU, both finishing in the top 10. Svärd recorded rounds of 71, 75 and a remarkable 65, with his final round serving as a key catalyst for the team’s victory. He led the field with 11 birdies and finished second in par-4 scoring average, shooting 2-under. Thanks to his sensational final round, which included seven birdies, Svärd placed solo third at 1-over. Shiels-Donegan played solid golf throughout the tournament, finishing at 4-over with rounds of 72, 70 and 72. He excelled on par-5s, averaging 4.83, which ranked third during the event, and has shown significant improvement this season with finishes of 12th, 8th and now 9th in his last three tournaments.

Sophomore Archie Finnie and junior Akshay Anand also competed for the ‘Cats. Finnie closed with his best round of the week, a 72, and placed in a tie for 27th. Finnie’s best holes came on par-5s as the Scotland native played them at even-par, good for ninth best during the week. The tough conditions on these holes underscored the course’s difficulty. Anand’s best round was a 74, and he ranked 12th in scoring average on par-3s. The junior finished the tournament in a tie for 54th place.

The ‘Cats wrapped up the fall season on a high note, winning back-to-back tournaments. They will return to action from Feb. 17-19 for The Prestige at PGA West. With a strong finish to the fall, Northwestern has a solid foundation to build upon as they look ahead.