Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois men's golf team is preparing to defend their title at the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championship, starting Sunday, April 20, in Des Moines, Iowa. The competition will take place at the Des Moines Country Club, covering 7,267 yards in a par-72 format.

Director of Golf, Justin Fetcho, expressed optimism despite the team not being the top favorite. “We aren't the favorites on paper, so we are hopefully going to come in with a little chip on our shoulder attitude this week,” he said.

The team, known as the Salukis, will field a five-man squad: Anthony De Schutter, Oliver Ulrich, Leon Heitz, Frank Bellino, and Lucas Lasley. Carsen Silliman will serve as a substitute.

Coach Fetcho anticipates a challenging week. "We know of all weeks; this week will be challenging and on a tough setup. We are excited to get out and compete in this kind of environment," he commented.

Fetcho aims to add a fourth MVC title to his record, which currently includes two second-place finishes and one fifth-place outcome. The Salukis' leading players, including De Schutter, Ulrich, and Heitz, will be pivotal in the tournament.

Highlighting the team's talent, De Schutter has an 18-hole average score of 71.33 and completed eight rounds in the 60s, with a best round of 65. Ulrich, averaging 73.83 strokes per 18 holes, will aim to improve his strong sophomore season finishes. Heitz, part of the 2024 championship-winning team, averaged 74.60 strokes and looks to regain his top form.

"We have a talented group of young men, we have to be mentally strong this week," Fetcho stated. "We must focus on what we can control. We want to focus on our effort, body language, discipline, and holding ourselves accountable to each other as we are all going out there fighting for every single shot."

For continuous updates, Salukis fans can follow Southern Illinois Men's Golf via social media channels on X, Instagram, and Facebook.