As the Indiana men’s golf team heads into the homestretch of the 2024 season, the team’s first place finish in the Hoosier Collegiate marks its best effort thus far this season.
Indiana’s return to and ultimate victory at the Pfau Course in Bloomington did not come easy, with 50-degree weather and 30 mile per hour wind gusts hampering any normalcy of a tournament. But Indiana didn’t just win, it dominated the field, with a 17-stroke disparity between first and second.
Indiana’s team score of 867 (291-287-289; +15) may seem high for a winning score, but the adverse weather conditions made the Pfau Course more punishing than usual. No. 27-ranked University of Notre Dame finished second with totals of 884 (299- 282-303; +32).
Heading into the competition, the Hoosiers ranked 48th nationally, according to clippd, but they can expect a boost in the rankings after their tournament win.
The 15-team slate consisted of Butler University, DePaul University, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of Evansville, High Point University, IUPUI, Michigan, Michigan State, Murray State University, Northwestern University (individuals only), Notre Dame, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Rice University, Southern Illinois University and Valparaiso University.
The Hoosiers’ starting lineup consisted of sixth-year senior Noah Gillard, freshman Cole Starnes, graduate Thomas Hursey, redshirt junior Robert Bender III, senior Drew Salyers and junior Kieran Hogarth.
Indiana held first place all throughout the tournament, led by top-10 performances from Gillard, Starnes and Hursey. The key to Indiana’s success was, in large part, due to its consistency on par 5’s. Indiana held an average of 4.69 strokes on par 5’s, with a collective 14 strokes under par as a team. Indiana also recorded the most pars (178) and second most birdies (31) across tournament play.
Gillard secured second place in the Hoosier Collegiate, marking his best finish as a Hoosier. Gillard knocked in eight birdies, all coming on par 5’s, and finished with a scorecard of 213 (73-69-71; E). Gillard’s stellar performance slated him as the Big Ten Men’s Golfer of the Week. His performance at the Pfau Course signals his third top-10 performance this season as he gears up for postseason play.
Starnes placed third, earning his second bronze-medal finish of the season. Starnes shot scores of 215 (71-71-73; +2) while tying the tournament lead for birdies with 11. Hursey placed seventh while recording scores of 219 (75-75-69; +6) and 40 par conversions to go along with it.
Salyers and Hogarth placed fourth and fifth for Indiana. Salyers shot scores of 225 (75-74-76; +12) while also recording his ninth top-25 finish of the season. Hogarth placed tied for 35th, with the Chicago State University transfer shooting a 229 (75-76-78; +16) over three rounds and seven total birdies.
Indiana now heads to Columbus, Ohio, to compete in the Robert Kepler Invitational from April 19-21 in what will be the final regular season tournament before the Big Ten Championships.
