Sunflower Invitational Awaits EMU Women’s Golf
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's golf team returns to action next week when it travels to take part in the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational in Lawrence, Kan., Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 7-8. The Eagles are one of 13 teams from 12 schools set to participate in the two-day tournament hosted by the University of Kansas at the par-72, 6,085-yard Lawrence Country Club.
QUOTING BREWER
"After a week at home to rest and work on a few areas, we are excited to head to Kansas to compete again," Head Coach Josh Brewer said. "We have seen a few of the teams in the field already this year, so it will be a good gauge on if we are improving since our first events. Even though we have been able to have one good round each event, we understand the need to put three good rounds together if we want to compete for a title. These are important steps as we continue to build our program for postseason success."
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational is being held for the 25th time since first being played in 1994 at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. This year's event will mark the second time the tournament has been played a Lawrence Country Club with the first coming in 2022. Along with EMU, host Kansas will field a pair of teams in the competition with the remainder of the squads including Central Arkansas, Cincinnati, Delaware, Fresno State, Grand Canyon, Kent State, Long Beach State, Missouri, Northern Colorado, and San Francisco. All teams will play 36 holes Monday with the final 18 being played Tuesday.
IN THE RANKINGS
According to the Oct. 4 release of the DI Mizuno WCGA Coaches Poll, none of the teams competing in the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational are ranked in the national top 25. Host Kansas, however, is receiving votes (18), which has them just outside the top 25 at No. 18.
CHIP INS
» Savannah de Bock captured medalist honors at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic, Sept. 23-25, as she carded a 12-under, 204 to win by three strokes. It marked her first collegiate victory and the first for Eastern in two years.
» Savannah de Bock was named the MAC Women's Co-Golfer of the Week following her victory in which also recorded school records for low round (65) and low tournament score (204).
» As a team, the Eagles carded a 3-under 285 in the final round of the Golfweek Red Sky Classic, Sept. 25, which stands as the lowest team single-round score in program history.
» Savannah de Bock has been named to the 2024 ANNIKA Award Fall Watch List. One of 25 players selected nationally, de Bock is on the short list for the award that is considered the Heisman of women's collegiate golf.
» The current roster is comprised of six players, five of whom are new to the program this year. Riley Kim is the lone returning player and is joined by two transfers and three freshmen.
» The coaching staff is also new in 2024 as Josh Brewer takes over in Ypsilanti following 12 years at Georgia. Brewer has added two assistants to his staff, including Caterina Don, who was one of his top players at Georgia, and Anna Watson, a four-year member of the Eastern program, both of whom graduated in 2024.
LOOKING BACK: RED SKY CLASSIC
As a team, Eastern shot 302 in the opening round to sit 15th overall before sliding down to 16th after shooting 306 in round two. But the Eagles came together as a team and shot a final round 285 - the fourth-lowest of the day - to move up to 12th place, the team's best finish in two tournaments in 2024. On a historical level, the 893 total score ranks as the eighth-lowest in program history and just the 17th time the program has fired 899 or lower.
Individually, Savannah de Bock stole the show as she carded a school-record 204 (70-65-69) to finish at 12-under to win the title by three strokes. Not only did she break the record for a three-round tournament score, she also carded a school-record 65 in round two, bettering the previous mark of 66 by Kelsey Murphy in 2015. Three other Eagles competed in the event, including Mariana Vega, who was tied for 40th at 6-over, 222 (75-76-71), with her third-round score marking her first sub-par round as a collegian. Julianna Go was tied for 71st at 16-over, 232 (78-84-70), as she shot two-under on the final day, while Riley Kim was 77th at 19-over, 235 (79-81-75).
FEELING HONORED: MAC POTW
The coaches of the Mid-American Conference voted Savannah de Bock as the MAC Women's Co-Golfer of the Week, Sept. 27, following her victory at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic. The honor, which was shared with Kent State's Veronika Kedronova, was the first for the Georgia transfer and came after she broke school records for low round (65) and low tournament (204), surpassing the previous marks by one and seven strokes, respectively.
TAKING THE TITLE
The individual medalist honor earned by Savannah de Bock was not only the first of her collegiate career, but also the first for an Eastern Michigan woman since Alyssa DiMarcantonio won in 2022. DiMarcantonio captured the title at the A-Ga-Ming Invitational, hosted by Central Michigan, Sept. 4-5, 2022 where she won with a score of 220. With her win, de Bock is the 15th different EMU player to win an individual title with her title in Colorado standing as the 24th overall win in program history.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?
Savannah de Bock broke several records as she lowered the standard for single-round and tournament scoring in EMU history. In round two, she carded a 7-under 65, breaking the record of 66 that was previously held by Kelsey Murphy, who tallied the mark Sept. 22, 2015, at the Cardinal Classic. The low round for de Bock marks her third score of 69-or-lower already this year with the program's career record standing at four total. Additionally, de Bock finished the tournament with a score of 204, marking the second consecutive tournament she carded her lowest career collegiate score (215 previously at the Leadership & Golf Invitational at Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash.). Her 204 is an Eastern program record and supplanted Anna Watson for the top spot after Watson, who is currently a graduate assistant coach with EMU, fired a 211 last year at the Shirley Spork Invitational, Oct. 2-3, 2023.
WORKING TOGETHER
As a team, the 285 carded in the third round of the Golfweek Red Sky Classic stands as a school record for the lowest team round, surpassing the 286 carded in round three of the Cardinal Classic, Sept. 22, 2015. Overall, the team's 893 ranks as the eighth-lowest tournament total in program history. It also is only the 17th tournament in program history Eastern has scored 899 or lower.
ON THE HORIZON
Following a two-week break, the Eagles will return to action at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational, Oct. 21-23, hosted by the University of Hawaii. The three-day event will take place at Kapolei Country Club in Kaplei, Hawaii.