BECKER, Minn. - This week, the University of Northwestern Women's Golf team is setting out to do something the program has never done before--win four-consecutive Upper Midwest Athletic Championships. If achieved, it would put an exclamation point on the careers of seniors
Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) and
Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool), the two best to ever tee it up for the Eagles, as they would win UMAC titles all four years of their careers. The setting for the three-round event is, once again, Pebble Creek Golf Club, where Northwestern has already been victorious this fall, in last month's UMAC Preview.
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Day One
If Thursday's opening round was any indication, UNW should feel well about its chances, as all five participants are in the top five scores. A team score of 314 (+26) has the Eagles in first place by 28 strokes over second-place UW-Superior with two rounds to play.
Morgan Philyaw (Jordan, Minn./Jordan), a two-time medalist in the event, sits alone atop the individual leaderboard at 76 (+4). The senior made a pair of birdies and shot one-under par on the front nine.
Bri Brandt (Blaine, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) is tied for second place, two shots behind Philyaw at 78 (+6), while
Ellie Rolland (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) fired a 79 (+7), which has her in fourth place.
Paige Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool) and
Brielle Lenz (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) are tied for fifth after carding 81's (+9), and made two and one birdie, respectively.
As the team leader, Northwestern will be among the final groups to tee off Friday, with Lenz leading things off at 11:50 AM in Becker.
Day Two
Despite shooting six strokes worse than the opening round, the UNW women extended their lead to 49 strokes on Friday. Every Eagle birdied at least once as they shot a team score of 320 (+32), which was once again the lowest score in the field. Brandt overtook the top individual spot at +12 overall, after shooting a second-round 78 (+6) that featured one birdie on each side. Johnson moved up two spots to third place at +16 after a 79 (+7) on Friday, while Philyaw's up-and-down round of 81 dropped her from first to second at +13 for the week. Lenz turned in an 82 (+10) to round out the scoring, and is in fifth place at +19, and Rolland is in sixth at +20 after a pair of birdies led to a Friday 85 (+13).
With the team result pretty well in-hand, the Eagles will battle it out amongst each other at the top of the individual leaderboard in Saturday's final round, as they look to put the finishing touches on a fourth-consecutive UMAC title.
Day Three
To the surprise of no one, Northwestern held on to win its fourth-consecutive UMAC title. "Held on" is an understatement, as UNW's third-round score of 334 (+46) on a windy Saturday was the best in the field by 24 strokes, and increased the margin of victory to 73 strokes. Brandt was able to increase her individual lead as well, and won medalist honors by five shots with a final-round 78 (+6), bringing her total to +18 for the week. Brandt is the third different Eagle to be UMAC medalist in as many years, as Philyaw won in 2024 (and 2023), and Johnson did in 2025. Speaking of Philyaw and Johnson, the senior standouts, who now are four-time UMAC champions, finished second and third at +23 and +29, respectively. Philyaw shot a final-round 82 (+10), while Johnson turned in an 85 (+13). Lenz took sixth place at +36 after an 89 (+17) on Saturday, and Rolland finished in seventh at +39 after a third-round 91 (+19).
With the win, the Eagles have clinched the UMAC's automatic bid to the 2026-27 NCAA Division III Women's Golf National Championship for the fifth time, which willt take place May 11-14. They will be heading to a familiar place in Williamsburg, Virginia's Kingsmill Resort, the location of the 2024-25 championship, where Northwestern finished 31st. To close out the fall season, Philyaw will be representing the team as an individual at the NCCAA Women's Golf National Championship, October 19-21, in Palm Coast, Florida.
