DAVENPORT, IOWA – The South Dakota Women's Golf program hit the links for its penultimate tournament of the 2026 fall season at the Diane Thomason Invitational hosted by the University of Iowa at Davenport Country Club.
 
Six Coyote golfers participated in the 54-hole event with five starters and one individual with the top four starters scores counted for the team total.
 
After ending Day 1 in 11th place, the Yotes improved by one position, shooting a team score of 943 to finish the 13-team event in 10th.
 
THE FIRST DAY
The first round on the course proved to be challenging for the Coyotes, who shot a team total of 319, their highest of the three-round event.
 
The back nine was a struggle for the Yotes, who made bogey or worse 27 times as a group.
 
Seniors Ella Greenberg and Ava Schroeder once again led the team, shooting a 78 on the difficult Par 71 course. The veterans combined for five birdies, all on the front nine holes of the course. 
 
The second bout with the course on Day 1 went better than the first. Eight shots better, to be exact. 
 
The Yotes, behind a strong performance from Ella Greenberg alongside junior Eva Greenberg and sophomore Morgan Rupp led the way for South Dakota, all shooting below 80.
 
Five of the six USD golfers improved their scores in the second round.
 
As a team, the Coyotes ended the day in 11th place.
 
THE SECOND DAY
Day two was once again an up and down day on the course for the Coyotes. 
 
Contrary to the first round, the team had issues on the front nine as a collective, making bogey or worse on 24 of the 45 holes played on the front nine. However, the team was better on the back nine to shoot a 313 on the day.
 
Rupp, who started the tournament with an 81, improved her score by six strokes in round three with a 75 on her final scoreboard of the tournament.
 
The Yotes finished the event in 10th place with a final score of 943.
 
A PAIR OF EAGLES
Although it was a difficult first round on the back nine for the collective, freshman Savannah Cagle notched an eagle on the 470 yard, Par 5 on hole number 12. 
 
It was the first time the Olathe, Kansas native made eagle in her collegiate career.
 
The Yotes weren't done there, though.
 
Senior Avery O'Donnell nailed an eagle on the 518-yard, Par 5 hole number 2 for her first of the season.
 
The achievement marked the first time a pair of Yotes collected an eagle in the same tournament.
 
NEXT UP
Following a week off next week, the Coyotes will conclude their 2026 fall season with a trip to Springfield, Missouri for the MSU/Payne Stewart Memorial hosted by Missouri State University at Twin Oaks Country Club. 
 
The 10-team event begins on Tuesday, October 13 and concludes Wednesday, October 14.