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THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and or Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram
ILL-INI The men’s golf team wins the B1G Ten again.
ILL-INI!
SO IT JUST never seems to end. The Fighting Illini just keep winning, and Coach Mike Small has built a powerhouse in men’s NCAA golf.
Illinois now heads to the regionals after winning it’s own tournament at the Atkins Course. Then rolling behind Big Ten Men’s Player of the Year Adrien Dumont de Chassart, won the conference championship yet again.
For Coach Mike Small that makes 8 straight and 13 of the last 14 conference titles in recent years. But who’s counting.
But while this years championship in New Jersey was weather shortened to only 36 holes, it doesn’t matter. Small got what he called a “total team effort”, as the Illini did jump out to a 17 shot lead after two days. So whether or not the third round was played, it was very unlikely anyone would have caught Illinois on the final day.
Coach Small won his 13th BIG Ten Coach of the Year award, no other B1G Ten coach has done that. But Small was not alone in capturing B1G Ten honors. Because the Big Ten player of the year, was Fifth-Year Senior Adrien Dumont de Chassart.
One of two athletes in University of Illinois history to accomplish the feat. But for Illinois it was the 14th time an Illini golf team member took home the award. So only two others have won the award three times in men’s golf. With one them being Northwestern’s Luke Donald.
FIGHTING ILLINI that took home post season awards included Tommy Kuhl. Kuhl was recently named to the 2023 Team USA Palmer Cup Team to be held June 8-10 at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Pennsylvania. But joining Chassart and Kuhl on the First Team-All Big Ten list was Matthis Besard, and Jackson Buchanan. Junior Piercen Hunt made the Second-Team All Big Ten list.
ILLINOIS now moves on to the Eagle Eye Golf Club in East Michigan (Lansing) as the No.1 seed at the regional May 15-17. Five teams will advance to the Grayhawk Golf Club for the NCAA National Championships in late May and early June.