With all of the hope and excitement the Illini men’s golfers felt entering this weekend, they experienced just as much disappointment leaving it.

The squad participated in the Big Ten Championships in Columbus, Ohio, where the team tied for ninth out of 11.

“It was a disappointing end to an up and down season,” head coach Mike Small said.

He also thought that the Big Ten Championships went like many other tournaments did throughout the year.

“We were still hurting at that four and five position,” Small said. “We had to count a high score every day.”

A key component to the Illini’s struggles was impatience. Small said the conditions were difficult for the first three rounds, and senior Kyle Hosick added that the course was extremely long for a par 71 course. There were more obstacles as well.

“The pins were cut extremely difficult,” Hosick said. “They were two or three steps from the edge of the green, tucked around the bunkers. It was just a tough setup.”

Illini golfers were uneasy with high scores and wanted to play more aggressively. The Scarlet Course was a major contrast to Michigan State’s last week, when birdies were easier to achieve and scores were lower.

“The (Scarlet) Course makes people impatient because they get a few over par, and then they think they have to make a few birdies when, really, pars are good scores out there,” Hosick said.

Out of all the golfers, only four shot a round under par.

Bright spots for the Illini were Hosick and redshirt senior Patrick Nagle. Hosick tied for 10th place with a 16-over 300, and Nagle tied for 14th at 18 over par.

Freshman Matt Hoffman had the best final-round score, a 4-over 75, but he finished in 41st place overall. Michigan State and Minnesota tied for first with 1,192 strokes in four rounds at the 7,455-yard course.

Nagle thought the Illini had a fighting chance after the first 36 holes on April 27.

“We had a shot to really move up the leader board,” Nagle said. “We weren’t able to put up a good enough score (on Saturday and Sunday). It’s a disappointing way to end.”

Nagle’s play with the team is complete for his collegiate career, but he said there is a good chance he will be chosen to play in regionals in a few weeks. No official announcements have been made as of Monday. Even if this turns out to be his last tournament, he was still able to look back at the broad scope of his year and career and say he’s happy about “the great ride.”

Small is excited about the future of the team, and both graduating seniors say it is in good shape for the years to come. Meanwhile, Hosick and Nagle said they hope to turn pro at the end of summer.

“I’m going to continue to play,” Hosick said. “(Golf is) something I will do for the rest of my life. … My college career is over, but golf’s a learning process and I’ll learn until I quit.”