West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University Women's Golf team is set to begin its fall season at the Payne Stewart Invitational, taking place September 8-9 in Springfield, Missouri. This marks the first of four tournaments scheduled for the team this fall.

The Leathernecks will see three returning players from last year's roster. Cianna Law and Makayla Mussatto are among those returning, with Law having competed in all five events last season and Mussatto participating in all ten tournaments during the 2023-24 season. Sophia Thorne also returns after playing in all five events last year, with her best result being a tie for 34th place at the OVC Championships.

The team welcomes two newcomers this season. Libby Larkin joins from Waterloo, Iowa, after qualifying for the NJCAA national championships while playing for Hawkeye Community College. Dina Khvastovich arrives from Belarus and brings international experience, having won several titles including the Women's Belarus Golf Open Cup, the Spring Open Cup, and the VII Minsk Golf Club Cup.

The Payne Stewart Invitational will be held at Twin Oaks Country Club, a par-71 course measuring 6,126 yards. The tournament consists of three rounds: two on Monday and one on Tuesday.

Competing teams include Missouri State, Lindenwood, Odessa, Wichita, Southern Indiana, Omaha, Creighton, Memphis, East Texas A&M, Western Illinois University Leathernecks Women's Golf Team (https://goleathernecks.com/sports/womens-golf), and Oklahoma City.