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Men's golf finishes 9th in Big Ten tournament

April 28, 2015

The men’s golf team wrapped up a tough season by finishing 9th overall in the Big Ten Tournament this past weekend. Illiniois, which is ranked 4th overall in the nation, won the Big Ten title, followed by Iowa who finished second.

“I was a little disappointed from the standpoint that we played average - not poorly. If you play average, it’ll turn out like this. I think we’re a better team than [9th place]. We just didn't get over the hump” head coach Casey Lubahn said.

Sophomores Sam Weatherhead and Charlie Netzel were the top performers for the Spartans in the tournament, finishing tied for 23rd overall and with 10-over 298.

“I think that we showed good effort and gave it our all on the course over the past 4 rounds, but it also goes to show that we have a long road ahead of us to be where we want to be in the competitive Big Ten Conference,” Weatherhead said.

The team certainly does have a lot of work to do in order to take the next step, but the future seems bright. There are two freshmen, six sophomores, and a junior that will return next season, with only one senior leaving the team.

“A lot of these guys had very little experience, and now they have a lot more under their belt. I think they know when they get back in the fall we have to have a strong start” Lubahn said.

With a decent start to the season, the team hit a slump the past month that they simply could not get out of. Coach Lubahn credits this slump to the team being unable to get their confidence back in time for the Big Ten Tournament.

Sam Weatherhead has emerged as a top player on the team and is eager to take on the leadership role.

"Every great team needs a leader, and I would love to fill that role, but it would be beneficial to this team if everyone involved strives to be the top-performer here."

The team has hopes of winning a championship in the near future, and Weatherhead believes they are in reach.

“The good news is that we are a very young team, and our goal of winning a Championship is still very reachable for us. I believe that with hard work this summer, we can be competitive next year coming down the stretch. I'm really looking forward to next season in the hopes that we can continue to improve.”

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