Illini men’s golf is just trying to take a step in the right direction.

They will have that opportunity this week when they travel to Florida for the Naples Invitational, a two-day tournament March 14-15.

The tournament is slightly lower in profile than the last tournament the Illini competed in, the Puerto Rico Classic, where they placed 17th.

Still, the competition should provide the Illini with a challenge. Head coach Mike Small said he is less concerned with the competition, as he is with his team.

“We have to deal with our own issues,” Small said. “I’m more interested in our guys improving.”

Small highlighted some other teams in the tournament as teams to watch, including Baylor and fellow Big Ten opponent Wisconsin.

The tournament is a 54-hole competition where the best four out of five scores count toward the overall team score.

Small said there is no real formula for the Illini to win the tournament outside of solid play and contributions from the entire team.

“We need one or two guys to step up every round,” Small said.

Small said those “eraser scores” are what will give the Illini a chance to win in Florida. And if they can execute, Small feels the Illini have a chance to not only improve scores, but also win the tournament.

Still, Small does not want to look too far ahead.

“We’re going to go down there and take every shot one at a time,” he said.