ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Stetson women's golf erased a 13-shot deficit in the final round before defeating host Navy in a playoff to win the Navy Fall Invite championship Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club.
The Hatters entered the day in third place after an opening-round 309 but delivered the lowest team round of the tournament on Sunday, improving by nine strokes with a 12-over 300. Stetson finished the 36-hole event at 33-over 609, pulling even with Navy atop the 10-team field and forcing a playoff for the tournament title. Navy, which carried a 13-shot advantage over Stetson into the final round, posted a 313 on Sunday.
Stetson went on to defeat the Midshipmen in the playoff, completing a dramatic final-day comeback and securing the Navy Fall Invite championship.
The comeback was a complete team effort, with all five Hatters improving on their opening-round scores and four finishing inside the top 10 individually. Isaki Sakashita led the way in a tie for third, while Bridget Butler placed sixth, Clara Willem tied for seventh and Anna Huettl tied for ninth. Freshman Maya Burmann also made a significant move on Sunday, climbing 20 spots into a tie for 17th.
Sakashita Leads the Way
Isaki Sakashita was Stetson's top finisher for the second consecutive round, following Saturday's 3-over 75 with a 2-over 74 on Sunday. Her two-day total of 5-over 149 placed her in a tie for third, seven shots behind individual champion Emma Tang of Navy.
Sakashita wasted little time helping fuel Stetson's comeback. She birdied the opening hole and added another birdie at No. 8, making the turn at 2-under 34. After encountering trouble at No. 15, she responded with a birdie at the par-4 17th and closed with a 74.
The junior's performance gave the Hatters their best individual finish of the weekend and helped set the tone for Stetson's charge up the leaderboard.
Hatters Pack the Top 10
Behind Sakashita, Stetson crowded the upper portion of the leaderboard.
Bridget Butler finished alone in sixth at 9-over 153 after rounds of 76 and 77. Butler had supplied Stetson's best front nine during Saturday's opening round, shooting a 1-under 35 with birdies at Nos. 2 and 6. On Sunday, she added birdies at Nos. 7, 14 and 15 on the way to a 5-over 77.
One of the biggest second-round moves belonged to Clara Willem. After opening with a 79, the sophomore shaved four strokes off her score with a 3-over 75, jumping 10 spots into a tie for seventh at 10-over 154 10-over 154. Willem played her final nine in 1-over 37, highlighted by birdies at Nos. 14 and 17.
Anna Huettl joined Willem in the top 10 after improving from a 79 to a 4-over 76. Huettl made the turn in 1-over 37 after a birdie at the sixth and finished at 11-over 155 overall, moving eight spots up the leaderboard into a tie for ninth.
Burmann Delivers Big Final-Round Improvement
Freshman Maya Burmann supplied Stetson's largest individual improvement of the tournament.
After an opening-round 84 left her tied for 37th, Burmann came back Sunday with a 3-over 75, a nine-stroke improvement. She played both sides efficiently, turning in 2-over 38 before carding a 1-over 37 on the back. Her round featured birdies at Nos. 7 and 11 and helped her climb 20 positions into a tie for 17th at 15-over 159.
Burmann's 75 did not count toward the team total because Stetson also received a 74, 75, 76 and 77 from its other four players, but the round underscored the depth of the Hatters' final-day effort. Every Stetson golfer shot 77 or better Sunday, while all five improved on their opening-round score.
From Third to Champions
Saturday's opening round left Stetson with work to do. The Hatters combined for a 21-over 309 and sat third, five strokes behind Howard and 13 behind Navy.
Sakashita paced the team with a 75, followed closely by Butler's 76. Huettl and Willem each supplied counting rounds of 79, while Burmann opened with an 84.
Sunday completely reshaped the leaderboard.
While Navy followed its opening 296 with a 313, Stetson went in the opposite direction. Sakashita's 74 led a final-round lineup in which the Hatters posted scores of 74, 75, 75, 76 and 77, with the four counting scores producing a tournament-low 300.
The nine-shot improvement allowed Stetson to make up all 13 strokes on the Midshipmen and finish regulation tied at 609 (+33). Howard placed third at 614, five shots back, while Manhattan finished fourth at 639.
With the tournament title still to be decided, Stetson completed the comeback by defeating Navy in the ensuing playoff to leave Annapolis as the Navy Fall Invite champions.
The championship adds another trophy to a Stetson program that won four team tournaments during the 2025-26 season.
Stetson Results
T3. Isaki Sakashita — 75-74—149 (+5)
6. Bridget Butler — 76-77—153 (+9)
T7. Clara Willem — 79-75—154 (+10)
T9. Anna Huettl — 79-76—155 (+11)
T17. Maya Burmann — 84-75—159 (+15)
The Navy Fall Invite was contested over 36 holes on the par-72, 6,084-yard U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club.
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.
