Mizzou will host their annual Johnie Imes Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne Sept. 21-22.
The Team
The lineup includes senior Addie Dobson, junior Alexandra Berglund, senior Fleur Van Beek, senior Melanie Walker and freshman Page Bowman.
Dobson and Walker are competing after a Boone County Circuit Court granted them temporary eligibility Friday night, according to KOMU 8 News. As of Friday morning, Mizzou women’s golf head coach Caroline Westrup Gaeta didn’t know if they would be eligible to play.
Dobson
and Walker are both seeking a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA’s five-year eligibility model, which was rolled out for the 2026-27 academic year. Their eligibility to play is only temporary – the hearing that would grant them permanent eligibility is scheduled for Sept. 28 at 10:30 a.m.
Additionally, sophomore Addie Surber, sophomore Grace Crawford and freshman Nina Andersen will be competing as individuals to include the entire Mizzou roster.
Experience
The Missouri women won this tournament last year with a 14-under team score after two rounds (the third round being canceled).
Walker and Dobson, the two players granted temporary eligibility, led the Tigers in 2nd and 4th places, respectively. Van Beek followed with a tie for 5th, Surber with a tie for 8th and Berglund with a tie for 11th.
The Club at Old Hawthorne is Mizzou golf’s home course, so the Tigers have had plenty of opportunity to practice.
“We’ve played it multiple times, even for the incomers that just came in this year,” Westrup Gaeta said.
Since they know the course well, she said the team is just focusing on being confident.
The Tournament
The tournament is named after Johnie M. Imes, who was an avid supporter of the Mizzou women’s golf team.
Competition will begin at 8 a.m Monday and 8:30 a.m Tuesday with a shotgun start. Golfers will play 36 holes on the first day and 18 the second day.
The field includes nine teams, six of which are returning from last year.
Here’s the full list of competing teams:
- East Texas A&M University
- Lindenwood University
- McLennan Community College
- Missouri State University
- South Dakota State University
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Missouri, Columbia
- University of South Dakota
- University of West Georgia
