This weekend, the Illinois men’s golf team will play their regular-season finale in Columbus, Ohio at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate. The two-day, 54-hole tournament will be hosted by Ohio State University at their Scarlet Course.

Rounds one and two will be played throughout the day on Saturday, followed by the final round Sunday. There is an 80 percent chance of rain in Columbus on Saturday, and temperatures aren’t likely to surpass 60 degrees all weekend, meaning the Illini are in for another chilly one.

“We’re looking forward to going to Columbus,” senior Michael Feagles said. “It’s one of my favorite golf courses.”

The Scarlet course was recently renovated by golf legend and Columbus native Jack Nicklaus, in 2006.

With 11 of the 14 Big Ten schools in attendance, it should serve as a preview for the Big Ten Championship tournament next weekend. The No. 7 ranked Illini are joined by the Eagles of Liberty University as the only top-25 ranked teams competing in Columbus.

Dayton, Indiana, Iowa, Kent State, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers and Toledo make up the rest of the field.

Two weeks ago, the Illini finished second behind Kent State at the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Golden Flashes finished two strokes ahead of the Illini as both teams finished with three golfers in the top-15. Kent State along with Illinois and Liberty are likely to compete for the tournament title.

Sophomore Jerry Ji, who got his first victory earlier this year, is not putting this last event over the others.

“What is important for me is that I just treat every tournament the same,” Ji said. “The bigger ones, obviously are more important, but you want to play well, at every event.”

@JonesChristianT

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