Women's Golf Shafted Again as NAIA Forced to Apologize
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Golf is hard. Anyone who has played it can attest to that. However, it doesn't have to be as difficult as the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's National Championship was.
The organizers of the event, held at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan, placed the fifth hole in the worst possible location. The decision was so unfortunate that the NAIA felt compelled to issue an apology.
"We regret to confirm that an unfortunate situation occurred at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship," the NAIA said in a statement. "The hole on No. 5 was incorrectly placed in a challenging position."
"We take this matter seriously and have taken immediate steps to ensure this type of situation will not happen again. The NAIA is committed to the student-athlete experience."
A general view of play on the the 16th green as darkness falls and the moon rises during the first round of the Chiquita Classic held at The Club at Longview on September 27, 2012...
A general view of play on the the 16th green as darkness falls and the moon rises during the first round of the Chiquita Classic held at The Club at Longview on September 27, 2012 in Weddington, North Carolina. MoreThere have been numerous reports on social media of players scoring 8, 9, and 10 on that par-5 5th hole. Videos of players making putts with completely unpredictable trajectories have also gone viral.
The issue was so widespread that even the legendary Phil Mickelson reacted with a post on X:
I have a suggestion 🙋♂️
😂😂 — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 14, 2025
You may recall that Mickelson encountered a similar problem during the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and solved it in the most unconventional manner: by hitting his ball while it was still in motion.
It's not like anyone expects a national championship to be a walk in the park. However, it doesn't have to be an unplayable tournament, as was the case two years ago at the NCAA Division III Women's National Championship.
According to Brentley Romine of the Golf Channel, the fifth hole saw 90 double bogeys or worse, 47 bogeys, 15 pars, and only three birdies during the first round, which was suspended due to darkness.
Really unfortunate situation happening at the @NAIA women's golf championship in MI
The hole on #5 has caused serious issues. There has been multiple 10s, 9s, and 8s. A lot of teams scorecards look like the one below
(And this girl handled it so well)
pic.twitter.com/FBkOdAyRkx — Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) May 13, 2025
Sharon Shan of SCAD Savannah leads the individual tournament with a 7-under score, four strokes ahead of Jessica Ng of British Columbia. British Columbia is in first place in the team tournament at 9-over, four strokes ahead of Marian (Indiana).
Founded in 1940, the NAIA brings together small college athletic programs from the United States and Canada. The association currently has 237 member institutions and over 83,000 student-athletes, grouped into 21 conferences.
This is not the first time something like this has happened in women's golf.
In 2023, the women's DIII Championship had to be canceled after a similar situation played out.
More Golf: PGA Championship: How Quail Hollow 3 Green Mile Holes Will Decide a Winner
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