Latest news with #NAIAWomen'sGolfNationalChampionship
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nightmare green at Eagle Crest causes chaos at NAIA women's golf national championship
How much damage can a badly placed cup cause in a golf tournament? As the competitors at the 2025 NAIA Women's Championship found out May 13, quite a bit. In what was such a challenging hole that some golfers were reportedly "reduced to tears," the fifth hole at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti overshadowed everything else that happened at the tournament, causing more than half the players to shoot double or worse on the hole. Advertisement Only three of the 156 players made birdie, with some of the top-ranked players in the field seven-putting the hole. Here's what happened: The putting problem with Eagle Crest's fifth hole According to NAIA officials, the hole placement on the fifth hole was off by 9 feet, and no one from the tournament committee checked the hole locations before play started. With the hole in such a challenging position, just about every player in the field struggled to sink putts, with many shots rolling back to where they started: Southeastern's coach, whose players penciled in scores of nine, eight, seven, seven and six on the par 5 hole, explained it like this: Advertisement "If you got lucky and putted it a foot past the hole, a perfect putt, it had a chance to it wasn't in that perfect spot, it rolled back down to your feet." Videos from the tournament went viral, with legendary golfer Phil Mickelson even chiming in with a tongue-in-cheek "suggestion" — a callback to his disaster in the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York. In that tournament, Mickelson ran after his own putt and hit it while it was still moving, resulting in a penalty. The effects of the wrong hole placement at Eagle Crest The difficulty of the fifth hole didn't just frustrate players, it also altered the course of the tournament. Advertisement As players spent more time than usual on the fifth hole, other teams found themselves backed up on the course, waiting more than an hour to tee off. According to Golfweek, some coaches were worried about the lack of available bathrooms with their players waiting so long. EAGLE CREST: Rare golf resort in metro Detroit makes our Top 10 Public Golf Courses ranking Players took so long on the fifth hole that six teams couldn't finish their first-round play May 13 due to darkness. The situation was so disruptive that the NAIA released a statement after the first day completed apologizing for the embarrassment: "We regret to confirm that an unfortunate situation occurred at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship. 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." Advertisement That reaction may have been insufficient for Marian (Indiana) coach Dan Stanjevich, whose team was participating in the tournament: "I feel like we have talented players that are Division I athletes, but choose their path to come our way," he told Golfweek. "When this stuff happens and we get negative attention, I feel like it sets us back again." Eagle Crest ranked top-10 public golf course in metro Detroit Eagle Crest is Eastern Michigan's home course and one of the most beloved public courses in metro Detroit. In a 2022 review of the course, the Free Press' Carlos Monarrez wrote this: "While no one would ever describe Eagle Crest as an easy course, it's a reasonable course and offers seven sets of tees that play as short as 5,031 yards, plus another two shorter tees that can be used for U.S. Kids tournaments, to accommodate almost any age or skill level." Advertisement That year, the Free Press ranked Eagle Crest the fifth-best public course in southeast Michigan. Now, unfortunately, there are nearly 200 college golfers who would disagree with that assessment, even if the blame may lie more with tournament officials than the course itself. You can reach Christian at cromo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Eagle Crest's nightmare green causes chaos at NAIA golf championship
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NAIA forced to apologize after brutal hole location wreaks havoc on national championship
NAIA forced to apologize after brutal hole location wreaks havoc on national championship The scene at the fifth hole of the NAIA Women's Championship on Tuesday was so bad it reduced some to tears. The number of 9s, 10s and 12s posted on the menacing par 5 at Eagle Crest Golf Club was nothing short of shocking. In the field 156, 90 players made a score of double or worse. Only three players made birdie. 'At the end, I was basically calling it a par 7,' said Southeastern coach David Joyner, whose team posted scores of 9, 8, 7, 7, 6. 'If you got lucky and putted it a foot past the hole, a perfect putt, it had a chance to stay,' said Joyner. 'If it wasn't in that perfect spot, it rolled back down to your feet.' Some of the best players in the field six- and seven-putted. The field's scoring average on the hole was 6.97. Joyner's team went through the hole in the morning, but as things warmed up in the afternoon, players spent over an hour waiting on the tee box to hit as entire teams – players 1-5 – were backed up. The wait was so long, in fact, coaches were worried about the lack of bathrooms. Cumberland's head coach Aaron Watkins posted a video on X that showed a player's ball catching the right edge of the cup on the fifth, circling the hole and then coming back to her feet. She hit another putt just shy of the cup and it rolled back down. 'This was happening all day,' Watkins wrote. As the debacle went viral, even Phil Mickelson weighed in on social media, responding to a tweet with 'I have a suggestion,' alluding to that memorable time he hit a moving ball at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. The NAIA released a statement Tuesday evening to address the situation: "We regret to confirm that an unfortunate situation occurred at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship. 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." The fifth hole caused such a delay in play that the six teams didn't finish the first round before play was suspended due to darkness. Officials didn't dot the greens ahead of time, so coaches weren't aware of the hole locations in advance. But that really wouldn't have mattered, Joyner noted, as they were told that the hole location on the fifth green was placed in the incorrect position, and no one from the tournament committee went out to check hole locations Tuesday morning before play. 'I just hate that it was embarrassing for some of the players,' said Joyner, 'and it shouldn't have been.' Unfortunately, a similar situation took place two years ago at the NCAA Division III women's golf championship, only in that case the third round was canceled because of an unplayable hole. The situation occurred on the 308-yard par-4 sixth hole at Mission Inn & Resort's El Campeon Golf Course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Numerous videos posted to social media showed the pin placement on a severe slope with putts coming up just short of the hole rolling back 10 to 15 feet, if not more. On Tuesday in Ypsilanti, Michigan, some players putted the ball past the hole and got lucky when it rolled back in the cup. Goofy golf. Joyner said he would've wiped out the hole to speed up play and save embarrassment. British Columbia held the first-round lead at 9 over, four shots clear of Marian (Indiana) and nine in front of Keiser (Florida), Milligan (Tennenssee) and SCAD Savannah (Georgia). Keiser had two quadruple-bogey nines on the fifth hole, along with a triple, a double and one par.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
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) — 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
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NAIA apologizes after 'incorrectly placed' hole at women's national championship
A flyover posted to Eagle Crest Golf Club's website describes the course's par-5 fifth hole as featuring a 'large green that slopes severely from left to right and has many challenging hole locations.' It wasn't kidding. Advertisement The NAIA then seemingly found the most challenging pin placement for Tuesday's opening round of its women's golf national championship in Ypsilanti, Michigan. So challenging that the governing body had 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 video posted to X by Cumberlands head coach Aaron Watkins shows one of his players hitting a 20-foot putt from just a few paces on and to a right hole location. The putt has pace on it, lips out on the right side and then makes its way back to the player's feet. The PuttView mapping of the green shows about 5-7% slope around where the hole appears to be. Advertisement Unsurprisingly, the fifth hole ranked as the toughest hole on the day. The 460-yarder was playing nearly two shots over par (+1.97) when the round was suspended for darkness (only one player in the 156-player field had yet to post a score on No. 5). The hole yielded 90 double bogeys or worse, 47 bogeys, 15 pars and three birdies, one of which was made by British Columbia's Jessica Ng, who sits second individually at 3 under, four shots behind leader Sharon Shan of SCAD Savannah. British Columbia, the top-ranked team in the country, leads Marian (Indiana) by four shots in the team standings. This isn't the first time a questionable hole location has overshadowed a national championship in women's golf. Two years ago, the NCAA scrapped the third round of its Division-III women's national championship because of an 'unplayable hole' caused by a severe pin placement. The sixth hole at Mission Inn's El Campeon Course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, featured a hole cut similarly to Tuesday's hole at Eagle Crest, and it had played about a shot and a half over par with 29 triple bogeys or worse before inclement weather suspended the round with about 60% of the field in the clubhouse. The NCAA also made a cut to the top 15 teams using 36-hole scores from that championship. 'They just said they were sorry and they felt bad,' one coach said then. Even Phil Mickelson commented on Tuesday's setup debacle. Advertisement 'I have a suggestion,' Mickelson wrote, alluding to his infamous hitting of a moving ball on the green during the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. The fifth hole's flyover ended with the statement, 'A '5' on No. 5 is an excellent score.' More truth.
NBC Sports
14-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
NAIA apologizes after 'incorrectly placed' hole at women's national championship
A flyover posted to Eagle Crest Golf Club's website describes the course's par-5 fifth hole as featuring a 'large green that slopes severely from left to right and has many challenging hole locations.' It wasn't kidding. The NAIA then seemingly found the most challenging pin placement for Tuesday's opening round of its women's golf national championship in Ypsilanti, Michigan. So challenging that the governing body had 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 video posted to X by Cumberlands head coach Aaron Watkins shows one of his players hitting a 20-foot putt from just a few paces on and to a right hole location. The putt has pace on it, lips out on the right side and then makes its way back to the player's feet. Nice job! @NAIA This is the naia women's golf national championship. No different than NCAA D3 national championship that had a round canceled. @acaseofthegolf1 @NCAA The PuttView mapping of the green shows about 5-7% slope around where the hole appears to be. Unsurprisingly, the fifth hole ranked as the toughest hole on the day. The 460-yarder was playing nearly two shots over par (+1.97) when the round was suspended for darkness (only one player in the 156-player field had yet to post a score on No. 5). The hole yielded 90 double bogeys or worse, 47 bogeys, 15 pars and three birdies, one of which was made by British Columbia's Jessica Ng, who sits second individually at 3 under, four shots behind leader Sharon Shan of SCAD Savannah. British Columbia, the top-ranked team in the country, leads Marian (Indiana) by four shots in the team standings. This isn't the first time a questionable hole location has overshadowed a national championship in women's golf. Two years ago, the NCAA scrapped the third round of its Division-III women's national championship because of an 'unplayable hole' caused by a severe pin placement. The sixth hole at Mission Inn's El Campeon Course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, featured a hole cut similarly to Tuesday's hole at Eagle Crest, and it had played about a shot and a half over par with 29 triple bogeys or worse before inclement weather suspended the round with about 60% of the field in the clubhouse. The NCAA also made a cut to the top 15 teams using 36-hole scores from that championship. 'They just said they were sorry and they felt bad,' one coach said then. Even Phil Mickelson commented on Tuesday's setup debacle. 'I have a suggestion,' Mickelson wrote, alluding to his infamous hitting of a moving ball on the green during the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. The fifth hole's flyover ended with the statement, 'A '5' on No. 5 is an excellent score.' More truth.
