Women's Golf Looks for First MAC Championship Crown

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University women's golf team will compete at the 2014 Mid-American Conference Championship Friday through Sunday, April 25-27, at The Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in Fishers, Ind. The three-day event will be consist of 54 holes on the par-72 course for the nine MAC schools that sponsor women's golf – Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo and Western Michigan.

Hawthorns Golf Club opened in 1994 and was designed by renowned golf course architect Arthur Hills. The course meanders through 279 acres of woods, lakes, preserved natural area, bird sanctuaries and wetlands and is a participant in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.

Although Ball State University is hosting the tournament, it is the Eagles who should be excited about the location. The MAC Preview was played at Hawthorns, Oct. 7-8, and Eastern had an excellent showing with junior Sylvie Williams (Christchurch, New Zealand-Christchurch Girls School-Lincoln) and freshman Kelsey Murphy (Plymouth, Mich.-Plymouth) both finishing in the top five as the Eagles placed third as a team.

Back in 2012, the last time the MAC Championship was played at the Fishers, Ind. course, the Eagles finished fourth with a three-day total of 951 (310-325-316). This year marks the third time Hawthorns has hosted the league championship, also playing host to the event in 2010.

The Golden Flashes are ranked No. 33 in Golfstat's national rankings followed by Western Michigan (82), Akron (108), Eastern Michigan (111), Toledo (118), Ball State (135), Ohio (166), Bowling Green (186) and Northern Illinois (200).

At last year's MAC Championship, Eastern Michigan tied with the University of Toledo for second place with a three-day cumulative score of 937. Kent State captured its 15th consecutive league title, finishing at 909 (303-298-308). on the par-72, 6,075 yard Longaberger Golf Club course in Nashport, Ohio.

EMU's second-place finish equaled the mark set by the 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 and the 2011 squads. In 2003, the Green and White recorded a 925 at Walden Ponds Golf Course in Hamilton, Ohio. The 2007 team posted a 1,252 at Longaberger Golf Club, while the 2008 Eagles finished as the runner-up with 1,228 at The Brickyard Crossing Golf Course in Indianapolis, Ind. The 2009 squad totaled a 1,256 while the 2011 team notched a 928 in Nashport, Ohio. The tournament was four rounds from 2006-08.

The Eagles' six runner-up finishes at the MAC Championship are the most of any team in the league. Ohio (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005), Ball State (2010, 2012), Western Michigan (2004) and Toledo (2006) are the only other teams to record a second-place finish in the history of the tournament.

The winner of the 2014 MAC Championship will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA regional round, May 8-10, at one of the three regional locations to be determined.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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