Illini golf is no stranger to slow starts.

But a 17th-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic Feb. 27-March 1 doesn’t scare head coach Mike Small and the team.

“The last three years we’ve finished 16th, 17th and 17th (respectively) in this event,” Small said. “But the last three years we’ve gone on to be runner-up in the Big Ten Championship.”

The event, held at Puerto Rico’s Westin Rio Mar Golf Course, is one of the most prestigious tournaments. It consists of some of the best collegiate golf teams in the country, including nine teams currently ranked in the top 25.

Georgia Tech won the event, while top-ranked Oklahoma State finished third. The competition alone makes the trip worth it for the Illini.

“It’s a huge advantage to go to this event,” Small said. “We go down to Puerto Rico, and we gauge our games against the teams we’re competing against for national championships, not just somebody else. So, yeah, we get our butts kicked, but we’re going to turn that into a positive to know where we’ve got to go come April or May.”

The Illini started their season against Illinois State, a match in which they soundly defeated the Redbirds 8-1. But with winter weather still hitting Champaign, the Illini are far from mid-season form.

“We’re rusty, and some of those schools are not,” Small said. “We haven’t been able to get out and practice, so we try to go down and mix playing and practicing.”

Still, Small is making no excuses for the team’s showing.

“We didn’t play well, and we need to play better, but this is always a good wake-up call for us.”

Freshman Danny Zimmerman was the low scorer for the Illini, finishing with a combined score of 8-over par for the three days. Senior Garrett Chaussard, who ended the fall season with four consecutive top-10 finishes, finished close behind, only one stroke over Zimmerman’s score.

Other Illini competitors were senior Mike O’Neal (+11), freshman Andy Mack (+16), and junior Blair Harkins (+28).

The Illini next travel to Florida to compete in the Naples Invitational on March 14, a tournament Small feels confident going into.

“What I want to see is improvement from this tournament to the next in scoring shots and an improvement in the number of double and triple bogeys,” Small said. “If we can do that between now and then, we have a chance to win that tournament.”