Illinois stage comeback to secure share of Hoosier Collegiate Invitational title
Photo Courtesy of Illinois Athletics
Senior Tommy Kuhl follows through on his swing after hitting the ball at the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana. Kuhl finished tied for third in the Illini’s first tournament of the fall season.
September 7, 2021
No one is born or comes into this world a champion because everything is earned. Well, the Illinois men’s golf team winning its first tournament of the season over Labor Day weekend is the perfect example of earning something.
The Illini traveled to Bloomington, Indiana this past weekend for the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational, something Illinois typically has success at every year. However, this year was very competitive for Illinois, with 15 different teams playing in the Hoosier Invitational.
With Cincinnati leading each and every round, Illinois had to fight back in the final round of the course, which was no issue for seniors Adrien Dumont de Chassart and Tommy Kuhl. The top four players were all from Illinois and Indiana, though Indiana finished 14 strokes behind Illinois.
Dumont de Chassart stepped up in the final round for Illinois, securing a runner-up finish after shooting 3-under-par despite a few bogeys under his belt.
With this being a new course for the Illini, things were looking very different, but Jerry Ji, Nico Lang and Luke Armburst stepped just as much to push Illinois higher up the standings throughout the two-day tournament.
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Not too far behind Dumont de Chassart, tied at third place with Indiana’s Mitch Davis, Kuhl received a score of 211 strokes (2-under-par) for the tournament.
As a team, the Illini stepped up to keep their team in the invitational, and senior Luke Armbrust secured a top 20 finish (221 strokes, 8-over-par) in his first collegiate competition since 2019. The upperclassmen for Illinois have stepped up to make sure they remain a top team in the NCAA.
Cincinnati and Illinois finished with the top spot in this invitational, after Illinois’ comeback Monday morning. The Illini may have gotten first place, but it was harder than they thought it was, and they will now travel to Olympia Fields Country Club to compete in their own invitational, the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational, on Sept. 17-19. The three-day tournament will be held at the North Course at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
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