It appeared Charlie Danielson’s season was over.

The freshman on the Illinois men’s golf team didn’t make the five-man roster for the team’s final regular season tournament. The tournament, the Boilermaker Invitational, is held at Purdue’s Kampen Course. Kampen is located just 150 miles north of the Big Ten Championships course in French Lick, Ind., and has similar terrain. The courses also share a designer, Pete Dye, making the Boilermaker Invitational an ideal primer for the conference tournament. 

Prior to the invite, Danielson finished last among the team at the Augusta State Invitational, shooting a 20-over-par; he was replaced in the lineup by sophomore Alex Burge.

But the team finished a disappointing third at Purdue, and it changed the luck of both Danielson and the entire men’s golf team.

“I didn’t count myself out, even though I didn’t crack the lineup,” Danielson said.

Fifth-year senior Mason Jacobs, a second team All-Big Ten selection in 2012, finished last on the team at the tournament, and head coach Mike Small called Danielson and told him he would be replacing Jacobs at Big Tens.

Danielson said it was a little bit awkward replacing the team’s lone senior, who had been a member of two Big Ten Championship lineups.

“We all know it’s competitive,” Danielson said. “Off the course, we’re still friends.”

The decision paid off, as Illinois won its fifth straight Big Ten title. Danielson finished fifth on the team and 25th overall, but his scores contributed to just one of the four rounds.

That was the last time Danielson was anything but necessary.

At the regional, Danielson shot a career-best 65 in the first round, propelling the Illini to first place and setting the pace for Illinois’ first regional title.

The last man to crack the lineup, in Small’s words at the time, “was a big, big reason for our success.”

When the team headed to the NCAA Championships in Milton, Ga., Danielson earned PING All-America Honorable Mention by finishing four-under and tying for 13th overall, helping the Illini secure a place among the top eight teams and in the match play portion of the championships.

He followed the stroke play portion with a dramatic 20-foot putt on the 18th hole to clinch Illinois’ victory over defending national champion Texas. The freshman, ranked No. 153 in the nation, then took down No. 12 Joel Stalter of No. 1 California, who many were calling the best college golf team in history with five players among the nation’s top 20.

The streak of success ended as Danielson and the Illini fell in the national championship match to Alabama. It was the best team finish in school history.

The only Illinois player to win a match against Alabama was junior Thomas Pieters, the 2011 national champion and 2012 Big Ten Champion. After the season, Pieters turned pro, leaving Illinois with a year of eligibility left and a hole at the No. 1 position.

“It’s hard to replace guy like Thomas, a national champion and two-time All-American, and you can’t have one guy replace a guy like Thomas,” Small said. “We have to do it by committee and get stronger as a team. Everyone has to get a little better.”

Danielson is doing his part.

He continued his success this summer with a second-place finish in the Wisconsin State Amateur, and he qualified for the US Amateur, along with Illini teammates Brian Campbell and Burge. He was the only Illinois golfer to finish in the top 64 and advance to match play. He made it to the round of 16 in match play at the nation’s oldest tournament, a serious improvement from his tie for 180th in 2012.

“Each round, each time you go out there, you’re learning and you get a little better,” he said.

Johnathan can be reached at [email protected] and @jhett93.