Indiana men’s golf competed in two tournaments this week. In the Fighting Irish Classic on Monday at the University of Notre Dame, the Hoosiers placed 10th overall with five players competing. On Tuesday, at the Golfweek Put Me In Coach Invitational hosted by Ball State University, all three golfers who competed placed in the top five.
The five Hoosiers featured at the Fighting Irish Classic played a par-70 course. Senior Cole Starnes tied for eighth place with a total of 209 strokes. He converted nine birdies and an eagle on the 518-yard par 5 in the second round. This served as both Starnes’ best finish of the season and the team’s first top-10 placement of the season.
Sophomore Jake Cesare tied for 21st with 212 (72-70-70; +2) strokes, senior Nick Piesen placed 51st with 220 (73-75-72; +10), while junior Bradley Chill Jr. tied for 52nd with 221 (74-73-74; +11). Junior Jamison Ousley finished tied for 62nd.
Cesare placed in the Hoosiers’ last two tournaments, but played 43 holes at 1-under par with a total of nine birdies on Monday. Of the 14 competing teams, Indiana placed 10th.
On Tuesday, the Hoosiers returned to the golf course at the Delaware Country Club to compete in Ball State’s Golfweek Invitational. At the invitational, Indiana earned three more top-ten finishes for the season, including first place.
Senior Neri Checcucci earned his first collegiate victory with a 209 strokes, clearing the 13-player field by five strokes. Checcucci posted the lowest stroke average on par 3s (3.08), par 4s (4.03), and par 5s (4.50). He also added 15 birdies, the most of any player during the competition. This was his third top-10 finish with the Hoosiers.
Freshman Duff McKay finished in second place with 214 (74-72-68; +4) strokes. He converted four birdies, one of which was a personal-best four in the third round.
Cesare tied for fourth place at 218 strokes and made nine of his ten birdie conversions in the final two rounds of the invitational.
The Hoosiers will next compete Oct. 12-13 at the Purdue Fall Invitational at the Kampen-Kosler Golf Course in West Lafayette, Indiana. This will close the team portion of their fall slate.
