The Emory University women's golf team successfully defended its national title after a historic run at the 2026 NCAA Championships this week in Palm Desert, California.

The victory at Desert Willow Golf Resort is the third national championship in program history as the Eagles join Methodist and Rhodes as the only women's golf programs in Division III history to win three or more national titles. The Eagles also set a new NCAA Championship record as they recorded a four-round total of 1,154, breaking its own record of 1,168 that the team set last year. Emory ended the tournament at two-over par to win the title by seven strokes over fellow University Athletic Association member Carnegie Mellon (1,161).

The Eagles entered the final round up by one stroke over the Tartans, but pulled away on the back nine as the team found its momentum and carded 12 birdies collectively to close out their championship-winning performance. Emory finished with a team score of 284 on Friday to break its team record for lowest single round at the NCAA Championship.

2026 WGCA Division III National Player of the Year Zimo Li and freshman Amanda Zheng led the Eagles to victory, tying for seventh place on the individual leaderboard as they each scored 288 (E) over the four rounds.

Li shot a 71 in her final round of the tournament, starting steady with two birdies and the same number of bogeys on the front nine before carding three birdies and another pair of bogeys on the back nine to secure her second top ten finish at the NCAA championship.

Zheng capped off her NCAA championship debut with an incredible final round, carding a 69 (-3) to help the Eagles take the team title. The freshman made par on each hole of the front nine apart from a bogey on four but found her stride on the back nine as she shot four birdies.

One stroke behind Li and Zheng was Carys Code who came in ninth place with a 289 (+1) four-round total to earn her second top ten individual finish at the NCAA Championships after winning the individual title last season. The junior matched her third-round score with a 73 (+1) on the final day, shooting 13 pars, two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey to end her third season as an Eagle.

Behind Code was sophomore Covi Yan who came in 36^th place with a 74 (+2) on day four to bring her tournament total to 297 (+9). Yan carded a birdie, bogey and double bogey on the front nine before she found her rhythm, making par on each hole of the back nine apart from a birdie on ten and a bogey on 16.

Ending the day for the Eagles was junior Esther Jung as she delivered her best round of the tournament with a 71 (-1) to put her two strokes behind Yan in 56^th place. Jung shot a pair of birdies and a bogey on the front nine to give herself momentum going into the final holes where she recorded three birdies and three bogeys to finish her third season in the blue and gold.