Men’s Golf Opens Season at Whirlwind Collegiate

2025 WHIRLWIND COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL
Date	Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9, 2025
Info Hub	EMU Notes (pdf)
Venue	Whirlwind GC at Wild Horse Pass \| Chandler, Ariz. \| Par: 72 \| Yards: 7,222
Live	Live Scoring (Scoreboard)
Social Media	EMU_Golf (X) \| Ea sternMichiganMensGolf (Instagram)

CHANDLER, Ariz. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team is set to open its 2025-26 season next week when the Eagles take part in the Whirlwind Collegiate Invitational at Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz., Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9. The event, hosted by the University of Southern California, will feature 12 teams competing in 54 holes over two days that includes two rounds Sept. 8 and one round Sept. 9 on the par-72, 7,222-yard course.

SEASON PREVIEW: ANDY WALKER
Hear from Andy Walker as he previews his team's upcoming 2025-26 season HERE.

PLAY WITH THE EAGLES
The EMU women's and men's programs are playing host to the inaugural GameAbove Eagle Golf Classic Friday, Sept. 12, at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti. The event will feature numerous alumni returning to their collegiate home course to support both programs with entrants in the event able to Add An Eagle, which allows for a team to select a current EMU student-athlete or coach to play on their team the entire round and use not only their knowledge of the course but their play to battle for the event win. Registration is open at: bit.ly/4m5UnxD.

THIS WEEK'S LINE UP
Here are the Eagles that will compete at the Whirlwind Collegiate Invitational:
1. Charlie Box (Jr.) • 69.2 avg. | Hutchinson CC transfer... 2025 NJCAA DI National Champion & NJCAA #2 final rank
2. Joshua Hess (Fr.) | #504 WAGR... Represented Switzerland in junior team events... Graduate of Montverde (Fla.)
3. Rory McDonald-O'Brien (Sr.) • 73.3 avg. | 2025 MAC Runner-Up... Average tied for 29th-best in EMU history
4. Carlos Fernández Mortera (Jr.) • 72.4 avg. | Charleston transfer... #135 NCAA DII ranking... 16th at NCAA DII
5. Tim Chan (Sr.) • 72.8 avg. | Tied for 12th-best average in a single season at EMU last year
* averages listed are from the 2024-25 collegiate season

CHIP INS
» The Eagles are slated to play in six events this fall with stops in four different time zones, including Eastern (Michigan and Florida), Central (Illinois), Mountain (Arizona and New Mexico), and Hawaiian. All told in 2025-26, EMU will play in 12 total events, including spring events in Alabama, California, Florida, Ohio, and Texas, before playing in the 2026 MAC Championships in Zionsville, Ind. (May 3-5).
» EMU's roster features seven players with two returning players in Tim Chan and Rory McDonald-O'Brien, the 2025 MAC runner-up. Both seniors are set for the final collegiate campaigns this year after averaging 72.8 (No. 12 in EMU history) and 73.3 (No. 21) strokes, respectively, last year.
» There are five newcomers to the roster this year, including three transfers and two freshmen. The transfers include senior Leo Mihaich (Argentina/Oklahoma Christian) and juniors Charlie Box (England/Hutchinson CC) and Carlos Fernández Mortera (Spain/Charleston). The two freshmen include Joshua Hess (Switzerland) and Robby Turnbull (New Zealand).
» The 50th Walker Cup, a two-day amateur competition pitting the United States against the Great Britain & Ireland squad, is being played Sept. 6-7 at Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif., with former Eagle Stuart Grehan (2012-14) playing for Team GB&I.
» Seven former Eagles are currently competing on professional tours, led by Brett White, who currently sits fourth on the Fortinet Cup standings with the top 10 finishers earning Korn Ferry Tour exemption for 2025-26. The others competing are Michael Blair, Beau Breault, Ty Celone, Cougar Collins, Cam Kellett, Zack Mason, and Eddie Maunder.

TOURNAMENT INFO: THE FACTS
The Whirlwind Collegiate Invitational will be held Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 8-9, at Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz. The field of 12 teams are set to play 36 holes Sept. 8 and 18 holes Sept. 9 with 8 a.m. MT (10 a.m. ET) shotgun starts slated for both days on the par-72, 7,222-yard course.

TOURNAMENT INFO: THE FIELD
The Eagles are part of a 12-team field at the Whirlwind Collegiate Invitational that is hosted by USC. The remaining teams include Arkansas State, George Washington, Georgia State, James Madison, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, San Francisco, Stetson, UT-Arlington, and UTEP. Last year, Eastern held a 5-10-0 record against teams in the field, including 0-2-0 against ASU, 2-0-0 against GWU, 1-0-0 against GSU, 1-1-0 against JMU, 0-1-0 against NMSU, 0-1-0 against USF, 0-2-0 against Stetson, 0-2-0 against USC, and 1-1-0 against UTEP.

IN THE RANKINGS • TEAMS
According the final team rankings from Scoreboard/Clippd, the Whirlwind field will feature four teams from the top 100 and four additional teams from inside the top 150. The ranked teams include No. 50 USC, No. 63 New Mexico State, No. 71 Arkansas State, No. 97 UTEP, No. 111 San Francisco, No. 113 Stetson, No. 136 James Madison, and No. 143 Eastern Michigan.

IN THE RANKINGS • PLAYERS
Five players in the field where highly ranked in their respective divisions at the end of the 2024-25 season according to Scoreboard/Clippd. The Eagles will feature Charlie Box, the No. 2 player in NJCAA Division I, and Carlos Fernández Mortera, who was No. 135 in NCAA Division II, while the remaining ranked players include Arkansas State's Thomas Schmidt (No. 162, NCAA DI) and the George Washington duo of Maxime Lam (No. 108, NCAA DII) and Evan Eichenlaub (No. 42, NCAA DIII).

BACK FOR MORE
Two players are returning from the 2024-25 season in Tim Chan and Rory McDonald-O'Brien. Chan led the team with a 72.8 stroke average last year, which was good enough to tie for the 12th-lowest in program history as he broke the school record with a round of 63 at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational, bettering the 64 recorded by five others on six occasions. McDonald-O'Brien, the MAC runner-up, averaged 73.3 strokes, the 21st-best in EMU history as his 211 at the conference event ranked as the lowest recorded by an Eagle in the 54-hole era.

WELCOME TO YPSILANTI!
The five newcomers hail from all around the globe, including three transfers and two freshmen. The transfers include Charlie Box from England (Hutchinson CC), Carlos Fernández Mortera from Spain (Charleston), and Leo Mihaich from Argentina (Oklahoma Christian) while the rookies include Joshua Hess from Switzerland and Robby Turnbull from New Zealand.

NOTING THE NEWBIES
» Charlie Box • No. 354 WAGR... 2025 NJCAA Champion and No. 2 ranked player... Finalist for the 2025 Gary Player International Golfer of the Year award and recipient of the 2025 NJCAA Arnold Palmer Golfer of the Year award.
» Carlos Fernández Mortera • No. 727 WAGR... Twice competed at the NCAA Division II Championships with Charleston... Placed 17th at the 2025 event.
» Leo Mihaich • No. 407 WAGR... Twice finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Division II Championships... 2024 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award winner and 2024 Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award winner.
» Joshua Hess • No. 418 WAGR... 2024 Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Champion... Represented Switzerland at the 2025 European Amateur Team Championships where they placed ninth by winning the Flight B title.
» Robby Turnbull • No. 278 WAGR... Posted 13 wins over a three-year span before coming to EMU... Played for Team New Zealand at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Toyota, Japan.

WALKER CUP
Over the weekend (Sept. 6-7), the 50th Walker Cup will be played between the United States and a team from Great Britain & Ireland that included Stuart Grehan, a member of the EMU program from 2012-14. Grehan, ranked No. 146 in the WAGR, is set to play in both foursomes and both singles matches in the event at Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.

LOGGING MILES
The Eagles will once again spread their wings and play in tournaments in 11 different states in 2025-26, including five of the six time zones across the United States. In the fall, Eastern is set to play in tournaments in Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, and New Mexico before taking part in events in Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas during the spring season.

FANTASTIC FACILITIES
The GameAbove Golf Performance Center opened its doors Jan. 16, 2024, for the men's and women's golf teams to utilize for their preparations each season. The two-story facility, perched elegantly overlooking the 18th green and Ford Lake, was made possible through an $8 million gift from GameAbove, a dedicated group of Eastern Michigan alumni. The facility stands as a testament to EMU's commitment to excellence in collegiate golf. This state-of-the-art training complex, spanning 13,000 square feet, is designed to propel the Eastern men's and women's golf teams to new heights of success. With locker rooms, meeting spaces, indoor putting and chipping areas, and cutting-edge simulators, the facility provides an unparalleled training environment for all elements of the game.

The building features a dedicated practice range, spanning 6,619 square feet, which offers student-athletes the opportunity to hone their skills with targeted training sessions. A specialized area covering 5,383 square feet has been designated for chipping and putting, ensuring that every aspect of the game is meticulously addressed in the training regimen. Additionally, the inclusion of two TrackMan 4 Simulators, totaling 1,974 square feet, adds a cutting-edge dimension to the training experience. These simulators bring the outdoor game indoors, allowing for precision training regardless of external conditions.

CHAN GOES LOW
Tim Chan made major edits to the program's record book in 2024-25 as he added his name to the top of the single-round list and moved into second on the three-round tournament ledger after play at the White Sands event (Oct. 25-27). In the second round (Oct. 26), he carded an 11-under 63 to break the school record of 64 that was recorded six times by five different players with the last coming Feb. 26, 2018, but Tyler Lewis at the Loyola Intercollegiate. In that same tournament, Lewis finished with a 16-under 200 to set the school record for 54 holes with Chan's 202 in the Bahamas now ranking second all-time at EMU.

NOTING WALKER
Andy Walker is in his first season at the helm of the Eastern men's program in 2024-25 with the Phoenix native taking his Eagles to the Grand Canyon State three times this year. A Tour player from 1999-10 before becoming the Senior Instructor & Director of Player Development at the Golf Channel Academy (2011-18), Walker has worked with teams at several different collegiate levels. He got his start in collegiate coaching as the head coach at South Mountain Community College (Phoenix) from 2013-18 where he guided the Cougars to a pair of NJCAA Division II National Championships (2015 & 2016). Walker then moved on to Lynn University (Boca Raton, Fla.) and helped the Knights to an NCAA Division II National Championship (2019). Following his stint at LU (2018-21), Walker took over at VCU (2021-24) where he led the Rams to one Atlantic 10 Championship and one runner-up crown. He was twice named the Black Collegiate Golf Coaches Association Coach of the Year, including last season.

ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles return to action next week when they travel to the Chicagoland area to compete in the Highlands Invitational, Sept. 15-16. The two-day event will be played at Chicago Highlands Golf Club in Westchester, Ill.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Charlie Box

Tim Chan

Joshua Hess

Rory McDonald-O'Brien

Leo Mihaich

Robby Turnbull

Eastern Michigan Athletics