From Refugee Raft to NCAA Champions: Northwestern’s Inspiring Journey
Northwestern captured its first NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship Wednesday evening at Omni La Costa, stunning top-ranked Stanford with a 3-2 victory in the match play final. The 10th-ranked Wildcats, led by senior Lauryn Nguyen, denied the Cardinal’s bid for a fourth NCAA title in a remarkable upset.
Behind the championship lies an extraordinary story of perseverance that began 45 years ago on a small raft in the Pacific Ocean. Anna Nguyen, Lauryn’s mother, was just 5 years old when she fled Vietnam with about two dozen others, clinging to her mother as they sought a better life in America. A grainy photograph captured by a coast guard officer preserves that desperate moment.
After settling in Seattle, Anna met Daniel Nguyen, another Vietnamese immigrant. They married, attended Seattle University together, and raised two children – son Alex and daughter Lauryn. Despite modest means, they poured everything into their children’s dreams.
“My parents are the strongest people I know,” Lauryn said. “Their childhood was so, so hard, and it’s crazy to me, because the life I’ve had, that I grew up with, was so different.
“They absolutely beat the odds.”
Stanford entered the championship as overwhelming favorites. The Cardinal went undefeated in stroke play this season and dominated the qualifying rounds at La Costa, shooting 27 under par – shattering the previous 72-hole NCAA record by eight shots and finishing 21 strokes ahead of runner-up Oregon. All five Stanford starters ranked in the top 20 nationally.
Match play wasn’t just Northwestern’s best chance to upset Stanford.
“It’s our only shot,” Texas head coach Laura Ianello had said earlier in the week.
The Wildcats didn’t have a single player ranked in the top 20. Ashley Yun held their best ranking at No. 29, followed by Nguyen at No. 30. But what they lacked in star power, they made up for in grit and determination.
Daniel and Anna instilled their fearlessness in both their children along with a deep appreciation for their roots. When Lauryn reached high school, she had to choose between private education or golf. She chose golf, playing an expensive national schedule while also starting the Duc Foundation with her brother – a non-profit named after Anna’s father that provides college scholarships for minorities in need.
“It was her decision, and we just did everything we could to make it happen for her,” Anna said. “She never knew when it was a struggle growing up. We’d travel to tournaments, and she never understood how much that cost because I never discussed cost to her, and it was never, we’re not going, it was, we’re going, and we’ll deal with it later.”
Anna almost didn’t make the trip to Carlsbad, not wanting to jinx the team. But Northwestern assistant coach Beth Miller convinced her to come.
“She didn’t want to be a jinx, but we told her, ‘You need to be here,'” said Northwestern head coach Emily Fletcher.
So Anna rushed home, picked up the family dog, and surprised her daughter Monday morning – just in time for Lauryn’s 22nd birthday the next day. The Wildcats celebrated by defeating Arkansas and Oregon to advance to their first NCAA final since 2017.
In the championship match, Northwestern overcame a slow start. They trailed in four matches early, and Stanford’s Megha Ganne quickly put the first point on the board with a 5-and-4 win over Yun. But by the sixth hole, Northwestern led in three matches.
Freshman Hsin Tai Lin earned a point with a 3-and-2 victory over Meja Ortengren. Then Nguyen took Paula Martin Sampedro to the 18th hole before rolling in her fifth birdie of the day to win 1 up.
“When she sank that putt to win her match,” Anna said, “all the emotions came out from her, from me, because it’s been a long road.”
With Dianna Lee 3 up through 13 holes on Andrea Revuelta, Northwestern was on the verge of an upset. Director of golf Pat Goss was so pumped after Nguyen’s point that he punched the air with a powerful uppercut.
Lee, who had nearly let a lead slip away in the semifinals against Oregon, stayed composed even as Revuelta battled back to just 1 down. At the par-3 16th, Revuelta hit a great shot to 15 feet but three-putted to lose her best chance to square the match. Lee didn’t falter over the final two holes, sinking a 4-foot par putt on 18 to secure the championship.
“I was so nervous,” Lee admitted. “I don’t think I have nerves of steel, but all I did out there was take a few deep breaths and really trust myself. I knew it meant something, meant everything.”
The Wildcats’ mantra all week was simple: believe in yourself as much as you believe in your teammates.
“Coach told us every day that we’re just as deserving as anybody else,” Nguyen said. “Of course, playing against a team like Stanford, it’s really hard to not let that get into your head.”
Stanford coach Anne Walker was gracious in defeat. “Northwestern came out fighting,” she said. “It was clear that they wanted it, and I’m happy for them.” Her talented team, which will return all its players next season, will remain formidable.
Fletcher and Miller have spent 17 years together as Northwestern’s coaching duo, a rare continuity in college golf. Before the final pairings, Fletcher received a text from European Ryder Cup captain and Northwestern alumnus Luke Donald that ended with: “The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”
Holding the NCAA trophy, Fletcher reflected on that message: “It was spot on. But more than doing what people didn’t think you could is this group believing what it thought it could do.”
Just like Lauryn’s parents who crossed an ocean for a better life, these Wildcats beat the odds through unwavering belief in themselves.
