Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's men's golf team concluded the Desert Mountain Collegiate tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sunday. The Salukis tied for 13th place out of 17 teams with a total score of 891 (+27). Mississippi State emerged victorious with a score of 853 (-11).

Head Coach Justin Fetcho expressed his thoughts on the team's performance, acknowledging the challenges posed by the course. "This golf course is penal on its own when you miss and we just kept compounding errors to make it worse," he stated. He emphasized the need for a change in attitude and mentality to achieve better results.

Anthony De Schutter stood out among his teammates, tying for 13th place with a score of one under par at 215. Fetcho praised De Schutter's mental game, saying, "He's making strides in his discipline and attitude and it's really starting to shine through more in the events."

Oliver Ulrich also delivered a noteworthy performance, tying for 20th place with a score of 217 (+1). Fetcho expressed hope that this result would propel Ulrich forward as the season progresses. "We hope this is the jumpstart he needs to continue to keep the pedal down this spring," Fetcho remarked.

The rest of the Salukis' scores were as follows: Frank Bellino tied for 46th (+10, 226), Leon Heitz tied for 77th (+20, 236), Lucas Lasley tied for 85th (+24, 240), and Cy Norman tied for 90th (+33, 249).

De Schutter's rounds included notable performances in round one (-1, 71) and round three (-4, 68).

The Salukis will take a break before participating in the Duck Invitational on March 24 in Eugene, Oregon.

For updates on Southern Illinois Men's Golf, fans can follow their social media accounts on X (@SIU_MGolf), Instagram (@SIU_MGolf), and Facebook (SalukiMGolf).