Recap courtesy of Eastern Michigan Athletic Communications
STATESBORO, Ga. (EMUEagles.com) – Janae Leovao captured her first collegiate title and four players finished among the top 10 to lead the Eastern Michigan University women's golf team to a season-opening victory at The Southern, Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9, at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Ga. The Eagles, who won the team crown by 25 strokes, finished the three-round event at 11-over 875 (285-283-307) for their first title since 2022.
Eastern was the wire-to-wire lead in the 13-team field as it built a 10-stroke advantage through the first round and added 11 strokes following the second round before capturing the title with Florida Gulf Coast University taking runner-up honors at 36-over 900 (295-294-311). Georgia State University (41-over 905) took third place while hosts Georgia Southern University (44-over 908) and James Madison University (48-over 912) rounded out the top five in the team standings.
The win marked the 30th team title Eastern has won since the program began play in the 1996-97 season and its first since winning the Lady Jaguar Invitational, April 16-17, 2022, at Plum Creek in Carmel, Ind., a 36-hole event. The last time the Eagles won a 54-hole tournament came Oct. 4-5, 2021, at its own Shirley Spork Invitational at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti. EMU, who won its first tournament in the state of Georgia, also captured its first fall tournament victory outside the state of Michigan since winning the MAC Fall Preview, Oct. 7-8, 2019, in Silver Lake, Ohio.
Individually, Janae Leovao (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino/Long Beach State) came out on top as she held off a late charge to finish in a tie with TK Kongthong of Georgia State for the win. Janae, who had eight finishes in the top five over the past three years while playing for Long Beach State University, finally earned a win after placing second three times. The 26th title won in program history and the sixth shared crown; she became the 17 different Eagle to win.
Sister Jasmine Leovao (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino/Long Beach State) was next in line for the Eagles she finished third at 1-over 217 (71-74-72) to record her 10th career top five finish as a collegiate golfer. The Eagles had two more players finish in the top 10, including Baiyok Sukterm who was seventh, and Erina Tan who tied for eighth. Sukterm, playing in her first tournament with an NCAA Division I program after one year each in the NJCAA and NAIA, shot 7-over 223 (70-74-79) as she earned a top 10 finish for the 20th time in the 20 career events she has played. Tan, who shot 8-over 224 (76-67-81), was the only player in the tournament that broke 70 in any round as her second-round 67 ranked third all-time in program history.
Freshman Matilde Zocchi (Turin, Italy/Liceo Vittoria) rounded out the team in her debut event as she tied for 20th at 12-over 228 (73-72-83). Savannah de Bock and Mariana Vega both tied for 29th while playing as individuals in the tournament with de Bock shooting 15-over 231 (79-76-76) and Vega matching her at 15-over 231 (75-80-76).
Eastern captured its 30th team title and 27th outright crown since the team began play in the 1996-97 season. The win is the team's first since the Lady Jaguar Invitational, April 16-17, 2022, at Plum Creek Golf Course in Carmel, Ind., a 36-hole event. The last time the Eagles won a 54-hole tournament came Oct. 4-5, 2021, in their own Shirley Spork Invitational in Ypsilanti.
The win marked the fifth time in program history the Eagles won their first tournament of the season. The last time Eastern accomplished the feat was Sept. 9-10, 2007, at the NIU Brickyard Invitational at Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis, Ind. The last time EMU won a 54-hole tournament in its opening weekend also marked its first all-time win after the Eagles captured the Minnesota Invitational, Sept. 9-11, 1999, in Minneapolis, Minn.
The team twice broke the program record for lowest round as its first and second-round totals each ranked highly. The first-round total of 285 tied the program record that was set last year at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic, Sept. 8, 2024. The Eagles then broke the record with a 283 in the second round. All told, it marked just the sixth and seventh rounds of 299 or lower in program history and the first time it had been accomplished in back-to-back rounds.
Janae Leovao's win marked the 26th medalist honor earned in EMU history and made her the 17th different Eagle to win a tournament. Additionally, she is now the sixth Eagle to share medalist honors at an event and the first since Thelma Beck won the Kzoo Classic, Oct. 2-3, 2017, in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Janae Leovao captured the first individual title since Angelica Holman won the Women's National Golf Invitational, May 9-11, 2025, with a match even-par 216 score. The wins marked the first time in program history Eagles won back-to-back tournaments played despite Holman's win capping the 2024-25 season.
Jasmine Leovao shot 1-over 217 to tie for the 16th-lowest 54-hole tournament score after her sister, Janae, tied for 10th. Jasmine also claimed her 10th career top five finish after securing nine over the last three years at LBSU.
Baiyok Sukterm made her NCAA Division I debut after playing the 2023-24 season in the NJCAA and last year with Lindsey Wilson in the NAIA. Including her EMU debut, she has now placed in the top 10 in all 20 career tournaments played.
Erina Tan tied for eighth place to record her third career top 10 finish for the Eagles after joining the team in January. In the second round, she carded a 5-under 67 to tie for the third-lowest score in program history. Additionally, her round of 67 made her the only player in the field at The Southern to break 70 over the course of the tournament.
Eastern returns to action Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 15-16, when the Eagles take part in the 2025 Leadership & Golf Invitational, hosted by Seattle University and the University of Washington at Chambers Bay Golf Club in University Park, Wash. The field will feature 16 teams, including Long Beach State University, the school the Leovao's played with the previous three years.
Eastern returns to action Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 15-16, when the Eagles take part in the 2025 Leadership & Golf Invitational, hosted by Seattle University and the University of Washington at Chambers Bay Golf Club in University Park, Wash. The field will feature 16 teams, including Long Beach State University, the school the Leovao's played with the previous three years.
Results
2025 The Southern
Forest Heights Country Club • Statesboro, Ga.
Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9, 2025
Par 72 • 6,316 yards
FINAL Team Standings
1. Eastern Michigan • 285-283-307=875 (+11)
2. Florida Gulf Coast • 295-294-311=900 (+36)
3. Georgia State • 306-294-305=905 (+41)
4. Georgia Southern • 300-294-314=908 (+44)
5. James Madison • 300-299-314=912 (+48)
T6. Tarleton State • 298-304-312=914 (+50)
T6. Augusta • 300-303-311=914 (+50)
8. Dartmouth • 304-298-317=919 (+55)
9. Wofford • 310-308-320=938 (+75)
10. Charleston Southern • 311-307-322=940 (+76)
11. Seton Hall • 315-313-316=944 (+80)
12. Jacksonville • 313-315-323=951 (+87)
13. Western Carolina • 317-315-322=954 (+90)
Individual Results (Top 10)
T1. Janae Leovoa (EMU) • 71-70-75=216 (E)
T1. TK Kongthong (GaSt) • 73-70-73=216 (E)
3. Jasmine Leovao (EMU) • 71-74-72=217 (+1)
4. Marta Aguilar (SHU) • 72-72-75=219 (+3)
5. Katie Stephens (CSU) • 72-73-75=220 (+4)
6. Sophie Thai (DC) • 74-74-73=221 (+5)
7. Baiyok Sukterm (EMU) • 70-74-79=223 (+7)
T8. Erina Tan (EMU) • 76-67-81=224 (+8)
T8. Haven Ward (GaSo) • 74-70-80=224 (+8)
T8. Margaux Brejo (GaSo) • 75-73-76=224 (+8)
