Eastern Michigan Athletics
Monday, September 21
Westchester, Ill.
8 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Highlands Invitational
Areephun Leads Men’s Golf to Top 3 Finish in Chicago
9/22/2026 6:01:00 PM | Men's Golf
Transfer tied for third in his debut with the Eagles at the Highlands Invitational
Results Link
WESTCHESTER, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- Arsit Areephun tied for third in his first competition with the Eastern Michigan University men's golf team to lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the Highlands Invitational presented by Turtleson, Sept. 21-22, at the Chicago Highlands Club just outside Chicago in Westchester, Ill. Areephun's play, paired with a top-10 finish from Joshua Hess, pushed the Eagles to their second top five team placement in as many tournaments this fall.
As a team, Eastern finished third at 3-under 861 (286-281-294) while host East Tennessee State took the crown at 21-under 843 with Wake Forest, who entered the tournament ranked No. 29 in the Golf Channel Preseason Top 30 rankings, was second at 20-under 844. The Eagles placed ahead of fellow Mid-American Conference foe Toledo, who was fourth at 7-over 871, while also placing ahead of two Big Ten Conference teams in Maryland (tied for fifth at 10-over 874) and Indiana (tied for seventh at 13-over 877).
Areephun (Chiang Rai, Thailand/Samakkhivittayakhom/Delaware), who ranked in the top five much of the week, turned in a solid performance in his EMU debut as he tied for third at 7-under 209 (68-70-71), which tied for the 25th-best 54-hole score in program history. Five strokes off his personal-best score of 204 he recorded at the 2023 Loyola Intercollegiate while playing for Delaware, his 209 tied for his second-best 54-hole score after hitting the mark for the fifth time in his four collegiate seasons.
Hess (Schattdorf, Switzerland/Montverde Academy (Fla.)) joined Areephun in the top 10 as he tied for ninth after shooting 1-under 215 (72-68-75). Hess, who shot under par for the second consecutive tournament to open the year, posted his second career top 10 (tied for 10th at the 2024 Pearl at Kalauao Invitational) and gave EMU two top-10 finishers in the same tournament for the first time since March 16-17, 2026, when both Robby Turnbull (Auckland, New Zealand/Selwyn College) and Leo Mihaich tied for eighth at the All-American Intercollegiate in Humble, Texas.
Vicente Quiroga (Cochabamba, Bolivia/Tiquipaya School), who was competing as an individual, nearly joined them in the top 10 as he shot 1-over 217 (74-71-72) to tie for 11th. The finish for the first-year player marked his first career top-20 collegiate showing as he improved by 23 places from his tie for 34th in season-opening Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate (Sept. 7-8). He was followed by Charlie Box (Leicester, England/Wreake Valley Academy/Hutchinson CC), who tied for 25th at 3-over 219 (73-73-73), Turnbull, who tied for 44th at 8-over 224 (74-75-75), and Parin Sarasmut (Bangkok, Thailand/Srinakharinwirot University), who tied for 52nd at 10-over 226 (73-70-83).
Individual Notes
» Arsit Areephun was solid in his first tournament with Eastern Michigan as the Delaware transfer tied for third overall at 7-under 209 (68-70-71), which tied for the 25th-best 54-hole score in program history. Areephun, who played the past three years for the Blue Hens, recorded his second-lowest 54-hole score as a collegiate competitor, marking the fifth time he has finished at least one tournament each season with a score of 209. His collegiate best stands at 12-under 204 that he carded at the 2023 Loyola Intercollegiate.
» Joshua Hess continued the strong start to his second collegiate season as he tied for ninth at 1-under 215 (72-68-75). The score was the third-lowest of his career after he twice shot 206 for the Eagles, including at this year's season-opening tournament, the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate (Sept. 7-8). The finish, his second career top-10 showing, gave him back-to-back tournaments under par to start the season.
» Vicente Quiroga, who played as an individual, posted his first career top-20 finish as he shot 1-under 217 (74-71-72). His previous best came at the season-opening Birds Darts Bombs Collegiate (Sept. 7-8) where he tied for 34th overall.
Team Notes
» Eastern finished third overall as one of only three teams in the field to shoot under par as the Eagles shot 3-under 861 (286-281-294). The score marked a 12-stroke improvement from the 2025 Highlands Invitational and a two-place improvement in the standings after Eastern finished fifth at 9-over 873 last year.
» The Eagles opened the season breaking par in the final team scoring in back-to-back tournaments for the first time in program history (dating back to the start of the 1990-91 season). Eastern shot 34-under 830 at the season-opening Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate (Sept. 7-8) to start the streak.
» Eastern played in a tournament with a fellow Mid-American Conference team as Toledo was in the field. The Eagles finished one spot ahead of the Rockets as UT shot 7-over 871 in the event to place fourth as a team.
Up Next
Following one week off, Eastern Michigan will return to action Oct. 5-6, in a pair of events being played at Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pa. The events, hosted by West Virginia, will see five Eagles play as a team at the Nemacolin Collegiate, which will be played on the Mystic Rock Course, while the remaining three members of the team will compete as individuals in the Nemacolin Individual, which will be played on the Shepard's Rock Course.
Follow the Eagles
Stay up-to-date on all things Eastern Michigan Golf by following the Eagles on social media. The team can be found on X at EMU_Golf and on Instagram at EasternMichiganMensGolf.
Results
2026 Highlands Invitational presented by Turtleson
Chicago Highlands Club • Westchester, Ill.
Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 21-22, 2026
Par 72 • 7,349 yards
FINAL • Team Standings
1. East Tennessee State • 277-284-282=843 (-21)
2. Wake Forest [nr/#29] • 294-281-269=844 (-20)
3. Eastern Michigan • 286-281-294=861 (-3)
4. Toledo • 282-302-287=871 (+7)
t5. Coastal Carolina • 283-301-290=874 (+10)
t5. Maryland • 292-292-290=874 (+10)
t7. College of Charleston • 297-288-292=877 (+13)
t7. Indiana • 285-299-293=877 (+13)
9. Louisiana • 286-301-303=890 (+26)
10. Western Carolina • 297-303-299=899 (+35)
t11. Southern Illinois • 304-297-302=903 (+39)
t11. North Alabama • 292-306-305=903 (+39)
Top 30 rankings (preseason Golfweek/Golf Channel Top 30) listed
Individual Results (Top 10)
1. Erik Tjarnberg (ETSU) • 70-67-65=202 (-14)
2. Jorge Hao (Wake) • 71-69-65=205 (-11)
t3. Arsit Areephun (EMU) • 68-70-71=209 (-7)
t3. Veigar Heidarsson (ETSU) • 70-69-70=209 (-7)
t5. Emil Riegger (Maryland) • 74-67-70=211 (-5)
t5. Sage Bradshaw (Wake) • 71-71-69=211 (-5)
7. Tom Haberer (Wake) • 74-70-69=213 (-3)
8. Jules Lauer (Charleston) • 73-70-71=214 (-2)
t9. Joshua Hess (EMU) • 72-68-75=215 (-1)
t9. Bence Bertenyi (Toledo) • 71-72-72=215 (-1)
----------------------------------
t11. Vicente Quiroga • 74-71-72=217 (+1) *
t25. Charlie Box • 73-73-73=219 (+3)
t44. Robby Turnbull • 74-75-75=224 (+8)
t52. Parin Sarasmut • 73-70-83=226 (+10)
* competed as an individual
WESTCHESTER, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- Arsit Areephun tied for third in his first competition with the Eastern Michigan University men's golf team to lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the Highlands Invitational presented by Turtleson, Sept. 21-22, at the Chicago Highlands Club just outside Chicago in Westchester, Ill. Areephun's play, paired with a top-10 finish from Joshua Hess, pushed the Eagles to their second top five team placement in as many tournaments this fall.
As a team, Eastern finished third at 3-under 861 (286-281-294) while host East Tennessee State took the crown at 21-under 843 with Wake Forest, who entered the tournament ranked No. 29 in the Golf Channel Preseason Top 30 rankings, was second at 20-under 844. The Eagles placed ahead of fellow Mid-American Conference foe Toledo, who was fourth at 7-over 871, while also placing ahead of two Big Ten Conference teams in Maryland (tied for fifth at 10-over 874) and Indiana (tied for seventh at 13-over 877).
Areephun (Chiang Rai, Thailand/Samakkhivittayakhom/Delaware), who ranked in the top five much of the week, turned in a solid performance in his EMU debut as he tied for third at 7-under 209 (68-70-71), which tied for the 25th-best 54-hole score in program history. Five strokes off his personal-best score of 204 he recorded at the 2023 Loyola Intercollegiate while playing for Delaware, his 209 tied for his second-best 54-hole score after hitting the mark for the fifth time in his four collegiate seasons.
Hess (Schattdorf, Switzerland/Montverde Academy (Fla.)) joined Areephun in the top 10 as he tied for ninth after shooting 1-under 215 (72-68-75). Hess, who shot under par for the second consecutive tournament to open the year, posted his second career top 10 (tied for 10th at the 2024 Pearl at Kalauao Invitational) and gave EMU two top-10 finishers in the same tournament for the first time since March 16-17, 2026, when both Robby Turnbull (Auckland, New Zealand/Selwyn College) and Leo Mihaich tied for eighth at the All-American Intercollegiate in Humble, Texas.
Vicente Quiroga (Cochabamba, Bolivia/Tiquipaya School), who was competing as an individual, nearly joined them in the top 10 as he shot 1-over 217 (74-71-72) to tie for 11th. The finish for the first-year player marked his first career top-20 collegiate showing as he improved by 23 places from his tie for 34th in season-opening Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate (Sept. 7-8). He was followed by Charlie Box (Leicester, England/Wreake Valley Academy/Hutchinson CC), who tied for 25th at 3-over 219 (73-73-73), Turnbull, who tied for 44th at 8-over 224 (74-75-75), and Parin Sarasmut (Bangkok, Thailand/Srinakharinwirot University), who tied for 52nd at 10-over 226 (73-70-83).
Individual Notes
» Arsit Areephun was solid in his first tournament with Eastern Michigan as the Delaware transfer tied for third overall at 7-under 209 (68-70-71), which tied for the 25th-best 54-hole score in program history. Areephun, who played the past three years for the Blue Hens, recorded his second-lowest 54-hole score as a collegiate competitor, marking the fifth time he has finished at least one tournament each season with a score of 209. His collegiate best stands at 12-under 204 that he carded at the 2023 Loyola Intercollegiate.
» Joshua Hess continued the strong start to his second collegiate season as he tied for ninth at 1-under 215 (72-68-75). The score was the third-lowest of his career after he twice shot 206 for the Eagles, including at this year's season-opening tournament, the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate (Sept. 7-8). The finish, his second career top-10 showing, gave him back-to-back tournaments under par to start the season.
» Vicente Quiroga, who played as an individual, posted his first career top-20 finish as he shot 1-under 217 (74-71-72). His previous best came at the season-opening Birds Darts Bombs Collegiate (Sept. 7-8) where he tied for 34th overall.
Team Notes
» Eastern finished third overall as one of only three teams in the field to shoot under par as the Eagles shot 3-under 861 (286-281-294). The score marked a 12-stroke improvement from the 2025 Highlands Invitational and a two-place improvement in the standings after Eastern finished fifth at 9-over 873 last year.
» The Eagles opened the season breaking par in the final team scoring in back-to-back tournaments for the first time in program history (dating back to the start of the 1990-91 season). Eastern shot 34-under 830 at the season-opening Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate (Sept. 7-8) to start the streak.
» Eastern played in a tournament with a fellow Mid-American Conference team as Toledo was in the field. The Eagles finished one spot ahead of the Rockets as UT shot 7-over 871 in the event to place fourth as a team.
Up Next
Following one week off, Eastern Michigan will return to action Oct. 5-6, in a pair of events being played at Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pa. The events, hosted by West Virginia, will see five Eagles play as a team at the Nemacolin Collegiate, which will be played on the Mystic Rock Course, while the remaining three members of the team will compete as individuals in the Nemacolin Individual, which will be played on the Shepard's Rock Course.
Follow the Eagles
Stay up-to-date on all things Eastern Michigan Golf by following the Eagles on social media. The team can be found on X at EMU_Golf and on Instagram at EasternMichiganMensGolf.
Results
2026 Highlands Invitational presented by Turtleson
Chicago Highlands Club • Westchester, Ill.
Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 21-22, 2026
Par 72 • 7,349 yards
FINAL • Team Standings
1. East Tennessee State • 277-284-282=843 (-21)
2. Wake Forest [nr/#29] • 294-281-269=844 (-20)
3. Eastern Michigan • 286-281-294=861 (-3)
4. Toledo • 282-302-287=871 (+7)
t5. Coastal Carolina • 283-301-290=874 (+10)
t5. Maryland • 292-292-290=874 (+10)
t7. College of Charleston • 297-288-292=877 (+13)
t7. Indiana • 285-299-293=877 (+13)
9. Louisiana • 286-301-303=890 (+26)
10. Western Carolina • 297-303-299=899 (+35)
t11. Southern Illinois • 304-297-302=903 (+39)
t11. North Alabama • 292-306-305=903 (+39)
Top 30 rankings (preseason Golfweek/Golf Channel Top 30) listed
Individual Results (Top 10)
1. Erik Tjarnberg (ETSU) • 70-67-65=202 (-14)
2. Jorge Hao (Wake) • 71-69-65=205 (-11)
t3. Arsit Areephun (EMU) • 68-70-71=209 (-7)
t3. Veigar Heidarsson (ETSU) • 70-69-70=209 (-7)
t5. Emil Riegger (Maryland) • 74-67-70=211 (-5)
t5. Sage Bradshaw (Wake) • 71-71-69=211 (-5)
7. Tom Haberer (Wake) • 74-70-69=213 (-3)
8. Jules Lauer (Charleston) • 73-70-71=214 (-2)
t9. Joshua Hess (EMU) • 72-68-75=215 (-1)
t9. Bence Bertenyi (Toledo) • 71-72-72=215 (-1)
----------------------------------
t11. Vicente Quiroga • 74-71-72=217 (+1) *
t25. Charlie Box • 73-73-73=219 (+3)
t44. Robby Turnbull • 74-75-75=224 (+8)
t52. Parin Sarasmut • 73-70-83=226 (+10)
* competed as an individual
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
Saturday, May 02
Tuesday, April 21
Wednesday, February 25
Monday, December 01