The UNT women’s golf team kicks off its 2025-26 season this Monday with the Sam Golden Invitational at Oakmont Country Club in Corinth. This year’s event features 13 teams from eight conferences, including top teams from major leagues.
Coach Michael Akers believes starting the season with a home tournament is a big advantage. He expressed gratitude for Sam Golden, a significant supporter of the program. This is the second consecutive year the invitational takes place at Oakmont, where UNT previously finished second in 2023, setting several records along the way.
In that event, the team’s impressive performance included a record low round and total score. Akers noted that multiple practice rounds at Oakmont have helped fine-tune their strategy for the tournament. Junior Mali Chanthapanya has been a standout in practice, showing great promise for the event.
This year, the tournament includes seven teams ranked in the top 100 from last year, making for a competitive field.
Sam Golden, a 1974 UNT alum, has had a notable career, including leadership roles at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Alvarez & Marsal. His daughters also graduated from UNT and were part of the women’s golf team.
The event will span two days, with teams playing 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday, starting at 8:30 a.m. CT on Monday.
Since Akers took over in 2016, the UNT program has made remarkable progress, climbing over 150 spots in national rankings and qualifying for four NCAA Regionals in the past five years.
After this invitational, the team will head to Hutchinson, Kansas, for the OU Intercollegiate on October 6.
For live scoring, you can check out the Clippd Scoreboard. Expect a recap on MeanGreenSports.com after each day of the tournament.
The new Bruzzy’s UNT Golf Practice Facility, opened in 2021, is also helping advance the team’s training with cutting-edge technology. This investment in facilities highlights the university’s commitment to nurturing athletic talent.


















