{"id":56819,"date":"2026-08-27T01:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T01:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/56819\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T01:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T01:12:15","slug":"mens-golf-welcomes-five-newcomers-for-2026-27-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/56819\/","title":{"rendered":"Men\u2019s Golf Welcomes Five Newcomers for 2026-27 Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men’s golf program has welcomed five newcomers for the 2026-27 season Head Coach Andy Walker<\/a> announced today, Aug. 26. The newest Eagles include Arsit Areenphun (Thailand), Vicente Quiroga<\/a> (Bolivia), Parin Sarasmut<\/a> (Thailand), Ben Sessions<\/a> (United Kingdom), and Felipe Suarez<\/a> (Argentina) with all five set to help the program reach the pinnacle of the Mid-American Conference standings and challenge on the national scene.
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\n“I’m very excited to welcome five new student-athletes to Eagle Nation,” Walker said. “This group brings an incredible combination of talent, experience, toughness, and a proven ability to win at a high level. These six newcomers join a returning group led by Charlie Box<\/a> (MAC Player of the Year), Robby Turnbull<\/a> (MAC Freshman of the Year), and Joshua Hess<\/a> (All-MAC). Put it all together and we believe we have assembled one of the deepest and most competitive lineups in college golf.”
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\nThe three first-year players include Quiroga (Coachabamba, Bolivia\/Tiquipaya School), Sarasmut (Bangkok, Thailand\/Srinakharinwirot University), and Sessions (Dunmow, Essex, UK\/The Bishop’s Stortford). Under the new age-based eligibility model established by the NCAA earlier this year, all three individuals will enter the season with five years of eligibility.
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\nQuiroga, who enters the collegiate season ranked No. 75 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), has been ranked as high as No. 68 on the list while playing over 60 tournaments in the past four years. A top 10 finisher in 51-of-63 events played, he captured 18 titles while finishing second 17 times and collecting a top finish in 46 total competitions. In 2026 alone, he won six times, including three won the Vuelta Bolivia, a major national junior and amateur golf circuit in his home nation, while adding the Bolivia Junior Open crown. He also added top 40 finishes in a pair of international events, including 20th at the South American Amateur and 38th at the Latin American Amateur Championships. He will be one of two Quirogas playing golf at Eastern Michigan this year as his sister, Constanza, has transferred into the women’s program.
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\n“Vicente comes to us from Bolivia and, like Parin Sarasmut<\/a>, is arriving straight from the U.S. Amateur,” Walker stated. “Vicente is one of the highest-ranked players ever recruited to the MAC and his personality is every bit as big as his 320+ yard drives. Most importantly, Vicente has made winning a habit with 12 victories during the 2025-26 seasons. He brings tremendous talent, confidence, and energy to our program and, like all three of our freshmen, will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in our lineup.”
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\nSarasmut, who is No. 93 on the latest WAGR listing, has been ranked as high as No. 76 internationally while playing for the Thai National team the past two years. A two-time winner of the Golfpreneur Junior World Championship with titles in 2023 and 2026, he has added medalist honors at the 2025 Thai Junior Golf Championships and the 2023 SINGHA Thailand Amateur Open. The runner-up at The Royal Junior in Japan in 2025 and fourth-place finisher in 2026, Sarasmut has added second-place showings at a handful of international competitions, including the 2025 FCG International Junior Championship in the U.S., the 2024 Golf APGC UAE Cup, and the 2022 FCG Callaway World Championship that was played in the U.S.
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\n“Parin is among the top 100 in the world rankings and arrives in Ypsilanti straight from competing in the U.S. Amateur,” Walker said. “He adds that experience to an already impressive summer that included a win at the Golfpreneur Junior World Championship and an eighth-place finish at the Toyota Junior World Cup. Parin is someone who simply knows how to golf and compete at the highest level. Beyond his worldwide success, one of the things I love most about Parin is how much he competes. He probably plays as much tournament golf as any junior player in the world. His ability to constantly adapt to different courses, conditions, and competition\u2014and still find ways to be successful\u2014is exactly the mentality we want to define our culture.”
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\nRanked among the top five on the European U18 lists, Sessions added four top 10 finishes to his victory of the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters in 2026 while also helping the combined English team win the Girls and Boys Home International match-play event in Scotland for the second consecutive year. Among the top 50 in the European Boys Team Championships in Spain as an individual, he helped his nation, who was the six-seed in the tournament, reach the finals in match play for a silver medal.
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\n“Ben arrives in Ypsilanti playing some of the best golf of his career,” Walker said. “He recently made a run to the Elite Eight at the R&A Boys’ Amateur and, earlier this summer, won the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters after opening the tournament with rounds of 62 and 67. Ben comes to us directly from the prestigious Jacques L\u00e9glise Trophy, where he represented Great Britain & Ireland against Continental Europe. Ben has proven that he can compete with the best junior players in the world and we’re excited to see him bring that experience to Eagle Nation.”
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\nAlong with the three first-year players, the program also added a pair of accomplished transfers in Areephun (Chiang Rai, Thailand\/Samakkhivittayakhom\/Delaware) and Suarez (Cordoba, Argentina\/La Santisima Trinidad\/Missouri Valley College). Under the new eligibility rules, Areephun has one year of eligibility remaining while Suarez has four remaining.
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\n“We’re also welcoming two proven transfers who add experience, leadership, and even more depth to what we believe can be one of the deepest teams in college golf,” Walker said.
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\nAreephun was a three-year member of the Blue Hens program and captured one individual title after capturing the 2025 Blue Hen Intercollegiate after shooting 7-under 209. In his 30 tournament appearances, he collected 13 total top 10 showings, including six finishes among the top five as well. A two-time Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and three-time Conference USA golfer of the week, Areephun earned a spot on the 2025-26 All-Conference USA Second Team after tying for 11th at the conference event.
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\nPrior to his time with Delaware, Areephun competed for the Thai National team and helped the team to a pair of medals at the SEA Games, including the silver in 2022 and the gold in 2023. A winner of several national team ranking tournaments, he placed ninth at the 2023 SINGHA Thailand Amateur Open and the SINGHA Thailand Amateur Match Play Championships.
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\n“Arsit was Delaware’s No. 1 player and arrived in Ypsilanti in great form,” Walker continued. “Just this past week, he won the Great Lakes Amateur here in Michigan at 14-under, closing with a 66 to win by three shots. Arsit brings much-needed experience along with one of the best golf swings I’ve seen in a long time. I expect him to compete near the top of our lineup and I’m equally excited about the veteran leadership he will bring to our team.”
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\nSuarez was one of the top players in the NAIA during the 2025-26 season as the then-first-year player captured six victories in the 11 tournaments he played with a pair of runner-up finishes added to the list for Missouri Valley College. In his lone season with the Vikings, Suarez finished the season ranked No. 3 in the final Scoreboard\/Clippd NAIA rankings and collected numerous awards, including being named the 2025-26 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year, the Heart of America Conference Golfer of the Year, and the Heart of America Conference Freshman of the Year. The winner of the individual title at the Heart of America Conference Championships, he was named to the 2025-26 NAIA All-America First Team and the 2025-26 All-Heart of America Conference First Team.
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\nA five-time conference golfer of the week and two-time national golfer of the week, Suarez, who is ranked among the top 300 in the WAGR, earned medalist honors in his second collegiate event as he captured the MVC Fall Invitational with a 17-under 199 after shooting rounds of 65, 68, and 66 to run away with the title. Two events later, he shot 12-under 201 (69-66-66) to win the Pioneer Prairie Classic to start a run of four consecutive wins that included crowns at the Heart of America Preview, the Texas Invitational, and the CBC Spring Invitational. He followed with a pair of second-place showings before capturing the conference title with a 10-under 206. All told, he played 32 rounds on the year and shot at or below par 25 times with 16 rounds in the 60s for the Vikings.
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\n“Felipe was the nation’s top freshmen in the NAIA, earning the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award,” Walker said. “He is no stranger to low numbers or winning college golf tournaments, recording six victories and two runner-up finishes during the 2025-26 season. Felipe is also playing well, noted by his recent 5th place at the Brazilian Amateur Championship. He adds another level of depth and toughness to our team, and it’s going to be a lot of fun coaching Felipe over the next four years.”
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\nAll five newcomers have arrived on campus and are set to represent the Eagles in a national schedule.
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\n“With the men on campus, now comes the fun part,” Walker said. “(Assistant) Coach Ryan Yip<\/a> and I can’t wait to start qualifying and watch these guys compete for their spots in the lineup. Nothing will be given. With this much talent and competitiveness throughout the roster, they’re going to have to earn it every day\u2014and that’s exactly the kind of culture we want at Eastern Michigan.”
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\nGetting Started
\nThe first tournament of the 2026-27 season awaits the Eagles Sept. 7-8 when they travel to Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Ariz., to compete in the Bombs Darts Birdies Collegiate, hosted by the University of Southern California.
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\nFollow the Eagles
\nStay up-to-date on all things Eastern Michigan Golf by following the Eagles on social media. The team can be found on X at EMU_Golf and on Instagram at EasternMichiganMensGolf.
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\n2026-27 Eastern Michigan Men’s Golf Additions
\nArsit Areephun<\/a> \u2022 Fifth Year \u2022 5-11 \u2022 Chiang Rai, Thailand \/ Samakkhivittayakhom HS \/ Delaware
\nVicente Quiroga<\/a> \u2022 First Year \u2022 6-0 \u2022 Cochabamba, Bolivia \/ Tiquipaya School
\nParin Sarasmut<\/a> \u2022 First Year \u2022 5-8 \u2022 Bangkok, Thailand \/ Srinakharinwirot University HS
\nBen Sessions<\/a> \u2022 First Year \u2022 6-1 \u2022 Dunmow, Essex, United Kingdom \/ The Bishop’s Stortford HS
\nFelipe Suarez<\/a> \u2022 Second Year \u2022 6-2 \u2022 Cordoba, Argentina \/ La Santisima Trinidad HS \/ Missouri Valley College
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\n2026-27 Eastern Michigan Men’s Golf Newcomers Biographies
\nArsit Areephun<\/a>
\nY-5 \u2022 5-11
\nChiang Rai, Thailand \/ Samakkhivittayakhom HS \/ Delaware
\nAwards & Honors:
\n2025-26 All-Conference USA Second Team
\n3x Conference USA Golfer of the Week (2025-26)
\n2x Coastal Athletic Association Golfer of the Week (2023-24)
\n1x Individual Collegiate Medalist (2025 Blue Hen Intercollegiate\/Sept. 15-16)
\n2025-26 Conference USA Academic Honor Roll
\n2024-25 Coastal Athletic Association Fall Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll

\n2023-24 Coastal Athletic Association Fall & Spring Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll
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\nEMU: Joins the Eastern program in 2026-27 with one year of eligibility remaining… Played in a pair of pro events in Thailand before arriving on campus, including a 35th-place showing at the SINGHA Classic\u2026 DELAWARE: Competed for the Blue Hens for three seasons and was a one-time All-CUSA honoree\u2026 Captured one individual tournament title and earned numerous conference academic accolades\u2026 2025-26: Named to the All-CUSA Second Team after leading the Blue Hens with a 71.1 season stroke average while collecting four top 10 finishes in his 10 tournament appearances\u2026\u00a0 Won his first collegiate tournament after shooting 7-under to win the Blue Hen Intercollegiate (Sept. 15-16)\u2026 Added second-place finishes at the Rutherford Intercollegiate and the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship\u2026\u00a0 Shot a program-record 132 (67-65) at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate\u2026 2024-25: Played in 10 tournaments on the year, averaging 73.2 strokes per orund\u2026 Posted a season-best finish of tied for fifth after shooting 5-under at the Bryan National Collegiate\u2026 Shot 64 in the second round of the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate to tie the program record for low single round\u2026 2023-24: Appeared in 10 tournaments in his first collegiate season\u2026 Led the team with a 71.9 stroke average while finishing in the top 10 a team-high five times\u2026 Fired a two-round score of 132 (67-65) at the Loyola Intercollegiate to set the program’s 36-hole record\u2026 Finished tied for second at the Loyola event with a 12-under score\u2026 Twice named the CAA Golfer of the Week\u2026 HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Samakkhi Wittayakhom School where he was a one-year starter and captain\u2026 Member of the Thai National golf team\u2026 Was a member of the 2022 Sea Games silver medalist team and the 2023 Sea Games gold medalist team\u2026 Played in five National Team Ranking events in 2023 and finished in the top four in all five as he won the third stop and took second in the second and fifth events\u2026 Ninth place at the 2023 SINGHA Thailand Amateur Match Play Championships\u2026 during the 2022 season, placed second at the SINGHA Thailand Amateur Open and the SINGHA Thailand Amateur Match Play Championships\u2026 Won the National Team Ranking events twice\u2026 PERSONAL: Full Name: Arsit Areephun<\/a>\u2026 Son of Aphisorn and Anchalee Areephun\u2026 ISP major.
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\nVicente Quiroga<\/a>
\nY-1 \u2022 6-0
\nCochabamba, Bolivia \/ Tiquipaya School & Panamerican Success
\nEMU: Comes to Ypsilanti as a top 100-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR)\u2026 Has been ranked as high as No. 68 over the past two years\u2026
\nHIGH SCHOOL: Attended Tiquipaya School and Panamerican Success\u2026 Has been ranked among the top 100 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings for much of the 2025 and 2026 calendar years and climbed as high as No. 68 (July 2026)\u2026 In the past four years (2023-26), he competed in 63 tournaments and earned a top 10 finish 51 times, including 18 victories, 17 runner-up showings, and 46 total top 5 placements\u2026 In 2026, he captured six titles, including three on the Vuelta Bolivia, a major national junior and amateur golf circuit, while adding wins at the Local Country Club Cochabamba, Local Las Palmas, and the Bolivia Junior Open\u2026 Added a 20th-place finish at the Abierto Sundamerican Amateur Championship and was 38th at the Latin American Amateur Championship\u2026 The 2025 season saw him collect six wins, including three more Vuelta Bolivia events to go along with the Candy Hannemann AJGC IPA Junior Championship in Brazil among others\u2026 He also was the runner-up at the Campeonato Sundamericano Juvenil and 17th at the Latin America Amateur\u2026 PERSONAL: Full Name: Vicente Quiroga<\/a>\u2026 Son of Marcelo Quiroga and Angelica Hinojosa\u2026 Has one sister, Constanza Quiroga, who joined the Eastern Michigan women’s program ahead of the 2026-27 season\u2026 Exercise Science major.
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\nParin Sarasmut<\/a>
\nY-1 \u2022 5-8
\nBangkok, Thailand \/ Srinakharinwirot HS
\nEMU: Comes to Ypsilanti as a top 100-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR)\u2026 Has been ranked as high as No. 76 over the past two years\u2026 HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Srinakharinwirot University Prasarnmit Demonstration School\u2026 Member of the Thai National Team from 2023-25\u2026 Twice won the Ciputra Golfpreneur Junior World Championship in Indonesia with titles captured in 2023 and 2026\u2026 Added titles at the SINGHA-KRUNGTHAI Junior Golf Championship in 2025 and the 2023 SINGHA Thailand Amateur Open\u2026 Played in The Royal Junior in Japan on two occasions, finishing second in 2025 and fourth in 2026\u2026 Finished as the runner-up in several events, including the 2025 FCG International Junior Championship in the U.S., the 2024 Golf APGC UAE Cup, and the 2022 FCG Callaway World Championship in the U.S.\u2026 Placed second at the 2022 Amateur of All Thailand Golf Tour’s SINGHA Classic, his first professional-level tournament\u2026 Returned to the SINGHA Classic in 2024 and tied for fourth place while finishing as the top amateur in the field\u2026 PERSONAL: Full Name: Parin Sarasmut<\/a>\u2026 Son of Prin Sarasmut and Oumporn Chalermsakulrat\u2026 Has one sister\u2026 Sport Management major.
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\nBen Sessions<\/a>
\nY-1 \u2022 6-1
\nDunmow, Essex, United Kingdom \/ The Bishop’s Stortford HS
\nHIGH SCHOOL: Attended The Bishop’s Stortford High School\u2026 Has competed throughout Europe and in the United States in his prep career\u2026 In 2026, won the Sir Henry Cooper Championship and added four other top 10 showings\u2026 Helped England to the title at the 2026 Girls and Boys Home Internationals, a match-play event held in Scotland\u2026 It marked the second consecutive year he was on the winning English team after claiming the crown in Ireland one year earlier\u2026 Tied for 45th in the stroke play portion of the European Boys Team Championships in Spain before helping the sixth-seeded English to a runner-up finish in match play where he was 1-1-1 in his matches\u2026 In 2025, finished third at the Spain U18 International Championships after also taking third at the English Boys Open Amateur (Carris Trophy)\u2026 PERSONAL: Full Name: Ben Stephen Joseph Sessions\u2026 Son of David Sessions and Lee Anne Conquest\u2026 Has one sister, Amy Sessions\u2026 Undeclared major.
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\nFelipe Suarez<\/a>
\nY-2 \u2022 6-2
\nCordoba, Argentina \/ La Santisima Trinidad HS \/ Missouri Valley College
\nAwards & Honors:
\n2025-26 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year
\n2025-26 NAIA All-American First Team
\n2025-26 Heart of America Conference Golfer of the Year
\n2025-26 Heart of America Conference Freshman of the Year
\n2025-26 All-Heart of America Conference First Team
\n2025-26 Heart of American Conference Individual Champion
\n6x Individual Medalist in 2025-26
\n2x NAIA Men’s Golfer of the Week
\n5x Heart of America Conference Golfer of the Week
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\nCollegiate Tournaments Won (6):
\n2026 Heart of America Conference Championship \u2013 April 27-28, 2026 (w\/Missouri Valley)
\n2026 CBC Spring Invitational \u2013 March 16-17, 2026 (w\/Missouri Valley)
\n2026 Texas Invitational \u2013 Feb. 23-24, 2026 (w\/Missouri Valley)
\n2025 Heart of America Conference Preview \u2013 Oct. 20-21, 2025 (w\/Missouri Valley)
\n2025 Pioneer Prairie Classic \u2013 Oct. 12-14, 2025 (w\/Missouri Valley)
\n2025 Missouri Valley College Fall Invitational \u2013 Sept. 8-9, 2025 (w\/Missouri Valley)
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\nEMU: Comes to Ypsilanti after one season at Missouri Valley College and will have four years of eligibility remaining\u2026 Named the 2025-26 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year and an NAIA All-American\u2026 Won six times in 11 tournaments, including the Heart of America Conference crown\u2026 MISSOURI VALLEY: Attended Missouri Valley College for one year and helped the Vikings to their most successful campaign in program history\u2026 Helped the team to only its second Heart of America Conference team title and a 14th-place finish at the NAIA Championships in only the second appearance in the event by MVC\u2026 Finished 14th at the NAIA Championships to earn NAIA All-America First Team honors\u2026 Selected as the recipient of the 2025-26 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman of the Year honor\u2026 Won six times on the season with his last coming at the HOAC Championships where his 10-under score gave him the individual victory by four strokes\u2026 Named the HOAC Golfer of the Year, HOAC Freshman of the Year, and All-HOAC First Team\u2026 Captured titles at the MVC Fall Invitational (17-under), Pioneer Prairie Classic (12-under), HOAC Preview (6-under), and Texas Invitational (5-under) before taking the conference crown\u2026 Also added a pair of runner-up finishes\u2026 Finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Scoreboard\/Clippd NAIA rankings (June 8)\u2026 Over the summer break, he finished fifth at the Amador de Golfe do Brasil event\u2026 HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Instituto la Santisima Trinidad\u2026 Recorded four top 10 finishes in his native Argentina prior to heading to Missouri Valley College\u2026 Was the runner-up at the El Federal and added a fifth-place showing at the XVIII Campeonato Abierto el Potrerillo de Larretta\u2026 In 2024, he competed in several events and placed among the top 10 seven times, including second-place finishes at the Campeonato Argention de Menores, the Torneo Nacional de Menores, and the Campeonato Abierto del Centro\u2026 Was eighth at the Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan\u2026 Competed once in the U.S. and placed 28th at the Junior Orange Bowl International\u2026 PERSONAL: Full Name: Felipe Suarez<\/a>\u2026 Son of Fernando and Eugenia Suarez\u2026 Has two sisters, Emilia and Franca\u2026 Business Administration major.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men’s golf program has welcomed five newcomers for the 2026-27…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56820,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[44],"class_list":["post-56819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-golf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}