It seems as though the stars aligned in Columbia this week. The sweltering heat finally broke, two Mizzou women’s golfers were granted temporary eligibility to play at their last home tournament and the Tigers won it all with four golfers in the top five.
The Johnie Imes Invitational, hosted by Mizzou on Monday and Tuesday at The Club at Old Hawthorne, featured nine teams and 55 golfers. Mizzou won with a team score of 22-under par, coming in 32 strokes below runner-up Missouri State and 54 strokes below third-place
West Georgia.
Senior Addie Dobson took the individual victory with a three-round score of 15-under and senior Melanie Walker followed up in second place with a 5-under total. Dobson shot 66-68-67 and Walker shot 70-70-71 on the par-72 course.
This marks Dobson’s first collegiate victory and the lowest 54-hole score of her career. Just last week, though, she wasn’t sure if she could compete.
Eligibility Uncertainty
Dobson and Walker, both returning for their fifth years, were granted temporary eligibility on Sept. 18, just a few days before they competed.
They’re both seeking a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA’s five-year eligibility model, but unclear rules have made it so that their eligibility is uncertain. Following a lawsuit Dobson and Walker brought against the NCAA, a Boone County judge granted them a temporary restraining order, which requires the NCAA to allow them to compete until a final decision is made. The hearing that could grant them permanent eligibility is scheduled for Sept. 28.
Other Results
Junior Alexandra Berglund gained four places in the third round to take third place with a 3-under total, shooting 72-73-68.
Senior Fleur Van Beek followed in a tie for fifth place, gaining six places in the third round. She shot 75-73-69 for a 1-over total.
Sophomore Addie Surber, who competed as an individual, shot 72-72-74 to take seventh with a 2-over total.
Freshman Page Bowman tied for 22nd place with a 13-over total, shooting 79-77-73.
Freshman Nina Andersen shot 84-75-73 for a 16-over total. She tied for 27th place and competed as an individual.
Sophomore Grace Crawford, who also competed as an individual, shot 79 for the first round. She was disqualified after the second round due to a scoring mistake, and did not compete in the third round.
Home Course Advantage
Mizzou women’s golf head coach Caroline Westrup Gaeta explained that while Mizzou was the favorite going into the tournament, the team still wanted to score as low as possible to boost their ranking.
“Every shot counts, and it’s not just about winning. It’s about how big you win sometimes, too,” she said.
Their ranking will come out around mid-to-late October.
Playing at home comes with familiarity and confidence, but it also means a bigger crowd watching.
“We had a lot of family and support staff out here the entire week,” Westrup Gaeta said. “And then other family members traveling from all over the country. It’s always so much fun to play at home.”
The tournament is named after Johnie M. Imes, who was an avid supporter of the Mizzou women’s golf team.
This was the first time in three years that all 54 holes were played. In 2024 and 2025, poor weather caused the final rounds of the tournaments to be canceled.
“It was really nice to be able to walk up that 18th hole, and especially [because] Addie Dobson and Melanie [Walker] didn’t get that last year when they were seniors,” Westrup Gaeta said. “They were able to finish off their final home tournament in style this year.”
The Tigers will compete next at the University of Oklahoma Intercollegiate in Wichita, Kan. starting Oct. 5.
