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ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Golden Grizzlies are headed to East Lansing to compete in the annual Mary Fossum Invitational, hosted by Michigan State University. The 54-hole event begins on Sunday, Sept. 20, with 36 holes, and concludes on Monday, Sept. 21, with the final 18.

The Mary Fossum Invitational, which began in 1978, is named in honor of Michigan State’s longtime head coach, who served from 1973 to 1997. The Fossum Invitational features some of the top teams in the Midwest and takes place at Forest Akers West (par-72, 6,368 yards), a premier collegiate golf course that hosted a 2024 NCAA Regional. 

Oakland made its debut in the Mary Fossum Invitational during the 2009-10 season, finishing 13th out of 17 teams. The team has consistently participated in the tournament, competing in each showing from 2011 to 2015, and again from 2019 to the present. In the most recent invitational, held in the fall of 2024, senior Lily Bargamian led the team with a score of 226 (+10), tying for 35th place her sophomore year.

The 15-team field includes host Michigan State, along with Bowling Green State, Central Michigan, Delaware, Findlay, Florida International, Grand Valley State, Illinois State, Kennesaw State, Northern Illinois, Oakland, Ohio, Rutgers, Western Michigan, and Youngstown State. Kent State will also be in attendance with two individual competitors.

The Golden Grizzlies enter the invitational after finishing as runner-up at the Rocket Classic. Freshman Hunter Edwards led the team for the second consecutive tournament, tying for third with a 225 (+12), followed by freshman Avery Manning in 11th with a 229. Oakland trailed champion Central Michigan by only seven strokes and posted the best 18-hole team score in the second round, recording a seven-over 291.

Oakland’s lineup features Edwards, Manning, Bargamian, and sophomores Logan Bentley and Channing Hagen, marking their third appearance together this season. A shotgun start is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Live stats for each round will be available on Clippd.

How to Follow Oakland Women’s Golf: For complete information on Oakland Women’s Golf, follow the team on Instagram and X at @OaklandWGolf.