Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
The Bear Brawl
Salukis Finish Strong at Bear Brawl
09/09/2026 | 8:25:00 | Women's Golf
GREELEY, Colo. — Southern Illinois women's golf wrapped up play at the Bear Brawl on Tuesday with a fifth-place finish at Greeley Country Club.
Head coach Samantha Sambursky was pleased with how her young lineup responded in the team's first tournament of the season.
"I was really proud of the way our freshmen led the way in our first tournament," she said. "Mackenzie fired a 71 today, and Zeme added a 72 to help lead us to a team score of 298 — our best round of the tournament."
Freshman Mackenzie Thomas led the Salukis individually, firing an even-par 71 in Tuesday's final round. Thomas finished tied for 11th at 226 (+13), improving each round with scores of 79, 76 and 71.
Fellow freshman Zeme Moore also delivered her best round of the tournament Tuesday, shooting a 72 (+1). Moore finished tied for 16th at 230 (+17) after rounds of 80, 78 and 72.
"Mackenzie also had a strong overall finish, placing 11th in the field. Moving up a spot today was a great way to finish, and this final round showed what I expect from this group going forward," Sambursky said. "We have depth to our team. I'm excited about our potential and the future."
The final round capped an encouraging season opener for a Southern Illinois lineup featuring three freshmen and two seniors. After sitting sixth following Monday's second round, the Salukis used their 298 on Tuesday to move past Montana and secure fifth place. SIU finished three strokes ahead of Montana in the final standings.
UP NEXT
Southern Illinois travels to Murray, Ky., for The Velvet, hosted by Murray State, on Sept. 14-15.
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