The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team delivered a historic performance at the 2026 Hal Williams Collegiate, securing a fourth-place finish and shattering multiple program records in the process.
Held Feb. 16-17, 2026 at the Robert Trent Jones Magnolia Grove Crossings Course in Mobile, Alabama, the tournament saw the Eagles finish with a three-round total of 13-under-par 827 (272-271-284). This total score of 827 represents the lowest 54-hole score in EMU history, surpassing the previous record of 832 set in 2019 by five strokes.
The Eagles' record-breaking run began immediately. In the opening round, Eastern carded a 272, which tied the existing school record for a single round. They didn't let that record stand for long, however, as they returned in the second round to post a 271, officially setting a new program benchmark.
The team's success was fueled by several standout individual performances, most notably from freshman Robby Turnbull. Turnbull, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, recorded his best collegiate finish to date, tying for sixth place with a total of 7-under 203 (69-67-67). Remarkably, Turnbull was the only Eagle to post under-par scores in all three rounds of the event. Entering the tournament ranked No. 805 nationally, he managed to finish ahead of nine players ranked in the top 200, including three members of the top 60. After his successful tournament, Turnbull has moved to No. 511 in the rankings.
Supporting Turnbull at the top of the leaderboard were Joshua Hess and Charlie Box, both of whom secured top-20 finishes. Hess tied for 12th place with a score of 4-under 206 (67-68-71). Hess showed significant improvement, lowering his previous collegiate best by seven strokes. Box continued his consistent season by tying for 19th with a 2-under 208 (67-69-72). This was Box's fifth top-20 finish of the season and his fourth consecutive tournament finishing under par. His performance included two rounds in the 60s, bringing his season total to 10 such rounds.
Rounding out the EMU lineup were Tim Chan, who finished tied for 44th at 4-over 214, and Rory McDonald-O'Brien, who tied for 57th with a 6-over 216. The tournament also marked the collegiate debut of freshman Rupert Toomey, who joined the roster in January 2026. Toomey tied for 76th overall with a three-day total of 224 (75-72-77).
The Eagles’ fourth-place finish was particularly impressive given the strength of the field. Ranked No. 122 nationally heading into the week, Eastern Michigan finished ahead of five higher-ranked teams, four of which were in the top 100. These included No. 53-ranked Rice University (11th), the No. 57-ranked University of South Alabama (10th), the No. 58-ranked University of Memphis (tied for fifth), and the No. 67-ranked University of Nebraska (tied for fifth). Eastern has since moved to No. 106 in the rankings.
At the top of the team standings, the No. 13-ranked University of Illinois dominated the field to win the title with 31-under 809. Southern Mississippi University took second at 16-under 824, followed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham in third at 14-under 826 — just a single stroke ahead of the Eagles. The individual title was shared by Ryan Voois of Illinois and Rudy Sautron of Nebraska, who both finished at 15-under-par 195.
With this historic performance in the books, the Eagles will look to carry their momentum into their next competition at the All-American Collegiate, hosted by the University of Houston at the Golf Club of Houston from March 17-18, 2026.
