Eastern Michigan Athletics
Charlie Box & Robby Turnbull Earn MAC Specialty Awards
5/6/2026 11:34:00 AM | Men's Golf
Box named MAC Golfer of the Year while Turnbull selected MAC Freshman of the Year
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Mid-American Conference announced in annual specialty awards for the 2025-26 men's golf season with Eastern Michigan University well represented as Charlie Box was named the MAC Golfer of the Year and Robby Turnbull was selected the MAC Freshman of the Year, the conference announced, May 5. The awards were selected by a vote of the conference's nine head coaches ahead of the 2026 MAC Championships.
Box (Leicester, England/Wreake Valley Academy/Hutchinson CC), who recently tied for 24th at the MAC Championships, played May 3-5 at The Club at Holliday Farms in Zionsville, Ind., was one of two players in the conference to record multiple victories after he also captured medalist honors with a playoff win at the West Bay Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 6-7) and tied for first at the Muirfield Shootout (April 20). With two wins, he was the first Eastern player since the 2006-07 season to win twice in the same season and one of only three to capture multiple wins in his EMU career since 2000-01. Box earned a conference-leading four MAC Golfer of the Week honors, the most in a single season in program history, which was twice as many as any other player in the league this year. Statistically, he was one of the best players in Eastern history as his 71.6 scoring average is a school record and makes him one of just three players to average under 72.0 strokes for the Eagles in program history. Box posted 21 rounds at or under par, including 10 rounds in the 60s, and finished 8-of-13 tournaments under par as well. He shot 63 in the second round of the West Bay event to tie the school record where he finished at 201, the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history.
Turnbull (Auckland, New Zealand/Selwyn College), who tied for 17th at the MAC Championships, was the third-highest ranked player in the MAC at No. 425 and the highest ranked freshman as well. The first-year player was one of four players to be named MAC Golfer of the Week multiple times this season and one of two rookies to be honored twice as well. He shot a low round of 66 at the Jim DeLapa Collegiate (Sept. 28-29) and posted a low tournament score of 203 at the Hal Williams Collegiate (Feb. 16-17) for the fourth-lowest score in Eastern history. He tallied 10 rounds at or under par this year with half of those rounds in the 60s, including three at or under 67, while posting six top 20 finishes in his last seven tournaments with a pair of top 10 finishes as well.
The honor for Box marked the fourth time in program history a member of the Eastern program has been named the MAC Golfer of the Year and the first since 2019 when Beau Breault was tabbed for the accolade. Prior to Breault, the two other recipients included Korey Mahoney in 2006 and Graham Hill in 2007. Turnbull is the third Eastern player selected for the rookie award and the first since 2011 when Brian Churchill-Smith shared the award. Christopher Ross earned the first accolade in 2006. Combined, Box and Turnbull are only the second pair of Eastern players to sweep the awards after Mahoney (golfer) and Ross (freshman) accomplished the feat in 2006.
2026 MAC Men's Golf Awards
Earl Yestingsmeier Sportsmanship Award: Michael Weber, Miami
Kermit Blosser Coach of the Year: JD Fletcher, Miami
Freshman of the Year: Robby Turnbull, Eastern Michigan
Golfer of the Year: Charlie Box, Eastern Michigan
All-Time Eastern Michigan Specialty Award Winners
MAC Golfer of the Year (4)
2006 - Korey Mahoney
2007 - Graham Hill
2019 - Beau Breault
2026 - Charlie Box
MAC Freshman of the Year (3)
2006 - Christopher Ross
2011 - Brian Churchill-Smith *
2026 - Robby Turnbull
* co-honoree
Box (Leicester, England/Wreake Valley Academy/Hutchinson CC), who recently tied for 24th at the MAC Championships, played May 3-5 at The Club at Holliday Farms in Zionsville, Ind., was one of two players in the conference to record multiple victories after he also captured medalist honors with a playoff win at the West Bay Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 6-7) and tied for first at the Muirfield Shootout (April 20). With two wins, he was the first Eastern player since the 2006-07 season to win twice in the same season and one of only three to capture multiple wins in his EMU career since 2000-01. Box earned a conference-leading four MAC Golfer of the Week honors, the most in a single season in program history, which was twice as many as any other player in the league this year. Statistically, he was one of the best players in Eastern history as his 71.6 scoring average is a school record and makes him one of just three players to average under 72.0 strokes for the Eagles in program history. Box posted 21 rounds at or under par, including 10 rounds in the 60s, and finished 8-of-13 tournaments under par as well. He shot 63 in the second round of the West Bay event to tie the school record where he finished at 201, the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history.
Turnbull (Auckland, New Zealand/Selwyn College), who tied for 17th at the MAC Championships, was the third-highest ranked player in the MAC at No. 425 and the highest ranked freshman as well. The first-year player was one of four players to be named MAC Golfer of the Week multiple times this season and one of two rookies to be honored twice as well. He shot a low round of 66 at the Jim DeLapa Collegiate (Sept. 28-29) and posted a low tournament score of 203 at the Hal Williams Collegiate (Feb. 16-17) for the fourth-lowest score in Eastern history. He tallied 10 rounds at or under par this year with half of those rounds in the 60s, including three at or under 67, while posting six top 20 finishes in his last seven tournaments with a pair of top 10 finishes as well.
The honor for Box marked the fourth time in program history a member of the Eastern program has been named the MAC Golfer of the Year and the first since 2019 when Beau Breault was tabbed for the accolade. Prior to Breault, the two other recipients included Korey Mahoney in 2006 and Graham Hill in 2007. Turnbull is the third Eastern player selected for the rookie award and the first since 2011 when Brian Churchill-Smith shared the award. Christopher Ross earned the first accolade in 2006. Combined, Box and Turnbull are only the second pair of Eastern players to sweep the awards after Mahoney (golfer) and Ross (freshman) accomplished the feat in 2006.
2026 MAC Men's Golf Awards
Earl Yestingsmeier Sportsmanship Award: Michael Weber, Miami
Kermit Blosser Coach of the Year: JD Fletcher, Miami
Freshman of the Year: Robby Turnbull, Eastern Michigan
Golfer of the Year: Charlie Box, Eastern Michigan
All-Time Eastern Michigan Specialty Award Winners
MAC Golfer of the Year (4)
2006 - Korey Mahoney
2007 - Graham Hill
2019 - Beau Breault
2026 - Charlie Box
MAC Freshman of the Year (3)
2006 - Christopher Ross
2011 - Brian Churchill-Smith *
2026 - Robby Turnbull
* co-honoree
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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