YPSILANTI, Mi – The defending champion UBC Thunderbirds were denied a repeat title win following the third and final round at the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship Friday afternoon in Ypsilanti, Mi. The young and talented T-Birds squad battled to claim sixth spot overall amongst a strong field, finishing the championship round with a combined score of (+67), 12 shots back of the first place SCAD Savannah Bees, who secured the national title on the strength of carding a (+20) on the final day, good for +55 total team score.
The Bees moved up three spots on Friday, leap frogging the top-seed Dalton State who settle for second at (+56) and Keiser who climbed four spots with an efficient final round (+15) to lock in third place at (+58) overall. The sixth seed T-Birds and No. 1 ranked Dalton State shared the lead after 36 holes with identical scores of (+32) but the ‘Birds slid five spots on Friday while the Roadrunners fell just one shot shy after being so close.
Makena Junkin of Texas Wesleyan was the individual champion after a final round (+1, 73) to finish +4 on the tournament, just one shot ahead of Jia Kataria of Dalton State who made a surge on Friday, climbing five spots thanks to (1-under, 71) good for +5 overall. Yunyi Luo of title winning SCAD Savannah Bees took third place following a (+2, 74) on Friday and two shots off the pace at +6 for the 54-hole championship.
All in all, it was a good showing for the youthful T-Birds to place just outside the top five on the national stage considering the veteran roster turnover that took place in the off season. The future is bright for the group that featured two first-year players, Katherine Hao and Grace Yao, who each held the individual lead, respectively through rounds one and two. Two second-year players, Keira Hou and Sienna Harder, and one fourth-year, Jessica Ng who claimed the individual title last year. They’ll only get stronger from the experience.
The reigning individual champion from 2025, Jessica Ng, easily had her best round of the tournament, leading the ‘Birds on the day with a (+4, 76) on the strength of three birdies on the front nine on holes 5, 7, and 9, before the back nine bit back slightly with six bogies. The fourth-year applied science major finished +24 overall and in 43rd spot.
Round two’s individual leader at (1-under, 71), Grace Yao, wasn’t able to maintain Thursday’s blistering pace, finishing with a (+9, 81) on Friday. She completed UBC’s second best round by parring 10 holes, birdying one, the 485-yard par 4, 10th hole, while dealing with five bogies and two double bogies.
Keira Hou wrapped up with a (+10, 82) in a round that featured 10 pars, six bogeys and two double bogeys. The Sauder School of Business student-athlete finished +19 overall and in a tie for 29th spot.
Katherine Hao, the individual leader way back on Wednesday following the weather delayed opening round where she was the only player in the field to shoot even par 72, finished Friday (+12, 84) in a round that saw her par 8 holes. The first-year student who’s studying science cards a +16 overall while cracking the top 20 on the individual leaderboard in a tie for 18th place.
Sienna Harder completed the championship round at (+13, 85) in an outing that saw her par 10 holes and finesse one birdie on the 150-yard par-3, fourth hole. Harder finishes at +26 overall and in a tie for 62nd spot.
The T-Birds women’s golf team who won the Cascade Collegiate Conference championship less than a month ago in Lewiston, Idaho will next look for a little rest before final preparations begin for the upcoming Golf Canada Canadian University Championship which take place in Lévis, Que. from June 16 to 19. The ‘Birds will be going in search of a ninth consecutive Golf Canada Canadian University Championship.
