Courtesy of Eastern Michigan Sports Information
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. -- For the second consecutive year, the Eastern Michigan University women's golf team opened its season with both a team and individual victory as the Eagles successfully defended their crown at the Leadership & Golf Invitational, Sept. 14-15, at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash., with Savannah de Bock securing medalist honors for the second time in her career. Eastern, who has now won its opening tournament of the season for the sixth time, used the low-round of the day to surge up the standings from fifth place as Baiyok Sukterm finished third to give the Eagles two players in the top three.
Eastern finished the two-day tournament on the par-72, 6,099-yard course at 1-under 863 (289-290-284), the sixth-lowest 54-hole score in program history, two win its opening tournament in back-to-back years for the first time since the 2006 (Cardinal Classic) and 2007 (NIU Brickyard Invitational) seasons while repeating as the winner of the same tournament in back-to-back years for the third time ever and the first since the 2007 and 2008 Eastern Kentucky Spring Invitational.
The Eagles were followed in the standings by runner-up Colorado, who shot 6-over 870, with Tulsa taking third at 7-over 871. SMU and Oregon State, the other two teams in the field along with EMU that reached the NCAA Championships in May, tied for fourth place after both shot 11-over 875 to round out the top five in the standings.
Individually, de Bock (Ecaussinnes-d'enghien, Belgium/Institut de l'Enfant-Jésus-Lycée/Georgia) had a strong finish to her season-opening win as she shot 7-under 209 (71-70-68) to climb from a tie for fifth place into the winner's circle. The victory was her second as a collegiate competitor and her first since taking medalist honors at the 2024 Golfweek Red Sky Classic, which is also the tournament the Eagles will play next week. Her win marked the 29th all-time individual crown secured by an EMU player and helped the program earn its 13th tournament sweep (team and individual), including the fourth in the past two years. Additionally, her 209 strokes tied for the fourth-lowest score in program history, giving her three of the top seven scores all-time.
Sukterm (Bang Yi, Thailand/Panitchayakan Rajdamnern Tech/Lindsey Wilson) also made a strong push on the final day as she rose from a tie for fifth into a third-place showing to grab her 23rd career top five finish. Sukterm, who posted the 12th-lowest 54-hole score in program history, finished at 5-under 211 (72-69-70) in the event.
Three players made their debuts for the Eagles with transfers Constanza Quiroga (Cochabamba, Bolivia/Tiquipaya School/Troy) finishing tied for 17th at 4-over 220 (72-77-71) and Karen Tsuru (Carlsbad, Calif./San Diego Virtual School/Oregon) finishing tied for 31st at 7-over 223 (74-74-75). The duo was joined by first-year player Laura Gorgees Baeta (Zaragoza, Spain/IES Ortega y Gassett), who tied for 45th in her collegiate debut at 10-over 226 (73-78-75) while playing as an individual. Mariana Vega (Barranquilla, Columbia/Colegio Karl C. Parrish) rounded out the Eagles in the field as she finished 74th at 16-over 232 (74-80-78).
