The Eastern Michigan University women’s golf team traveled south to Austin, Texas, for the Challenge at Onion Creek Tournament April 1-2. The team finished in eighth place overall in the tournament with a three round team score of 900.
Gonzaga University took home the title after finishing in first place with a three-round team score of 862. Gonzaga finished just three strokes ahead of Texas State University.
EMU’s Alyssa Kwon had an amazing top-10 finish. She finished in seventh place during the three tournament scoring rounds with a 71, 72 and 72, respectively.
Kwon’s 54-hole score of 215 is the second lowest 54-hole score in the school’s history.
Catherine Fortin holds the record with a 54-hole score of 214, which was shot at the Shootout at the Legends in October of 2007.
On top of Kwon’s record setting outing at Onion Creek, she was also named the Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Week. This marks the second time in her career she has taken home this award.
Considering this tournament at the Onion Creek Golf Club was host to some of the nation’s best golfers, Kwon’s finish and MAC weekly award should not go overlooked.
Other EMU tournament results:
• Karyn Lee Ping finished in a tie for 32nd place with a three-round score of 16 over par.
• Corey Crossan finished in a tie for 38th place with a three-round score of 18 over par.
• Lois Schoof finished in a tie for 46th place with a three-round score of 21 over par.
• Usanee Laopattananont finished in 66th place with a three-round score of 41 over par.
EMU coach Sandy Wagner said she was happy with the team’s performance.
“I am very proud of the team that I took to the Onion Creek tournament,” Wagner said. “Under the circumstance, they did really well.”
EMU was playing without two of the team’s top players, Sarah Johnson and Meredith Fairbairn, who were both out due to illnesses.
Both Fairbairn and Johnson fell ill during the UALR Women’s Golf Classic tournament in Hot Springs, Ark., in turn, leading the team to eventually withdraw from the tournament.
Wagner said she was proud of Kwon’s showing.
“A top-10 finish was an outstanding effort for Alyssa [Kwon] as we head down the home stretch of the season,” she said.
Wagner was also happy with Ping’s showing.
“Freshman Karyn Lee Ping also had a career tournament,” Wagner said. “She had three rounds in the 70s and her game is really falling into place, and she is able to have some consistency round to round, which is great to see.”
The team is headed to Bloomington, Ind., this weekend to compete in the Indiana Invitational Saturday and Sunday. This will be the final regular-season tournament for the season.
