Metro East Sun

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville's (SIUE) men's golf squad turned a question mark at the start of the season into an exclamation point at the end.

SIUE posted its best Ohio Valley Conference Tournament finish in program history this year.

With two Cougars finishing in the top five and all five at the tournament placing in the top 25, SIUE came in third in a tight three-way race, which was held April 24-26 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The Cougars had a final team score of 870, which was 6-over par, placing them just behind tourney champ Jacksonville State (866, 2-over) and Eastern Kentucky (867, 3-over).

SUE's previous top placement at the OVC Tournament was sixth place in 2014.

Cougars head coach Derrick Brown told the Metro East Sun that early doubts about the team came from the its ninth-place OVC finish in 2016. But he said the squad knew it had talent coming into this season, and the players had had success at summer events.

“At the beginning of the year we had a good feeling, but I think the guys started to believe throughout as we escalated in the season,” Brown said.

The Cougars started the 2017 campaign by finishing tied for 12th out of 16 teams at the Loyola Intercollegiate in late February in Goodyear, Arizona. After that, SIUE never finished lower than fourth at any tournament heading into the OVC tourney.

“You could see the confidence growing in them, and that's a lot of golf -- is confidence in yourself,” Brown said.

Consistency was a key at the OVC tourney, Brown said, with the players staying away from putting any big numbers on the board. In the final round, SIUE was six shots back going into the back nine but cut the deficit to two within the last couple of holes. It couldn't quite claw all the way back with so few opportunities left.

“We just kind of ran out of holes,” Brown said.

Luke Long and Conor Dore were the top individual finishers for the Cougars, tying for fourth at 216 each for even par. Kyle Slattery was 21st at 223, and Danny Gorman and Brady Dixon tied for 23rd at 224.

Although Long will probably not be with the program next season — Brown said the freshman was planning to transfer — the other four Cougars who competed at the OVC meet will be. And the team had players like Jordan Harre, Austin Glendinning and Spencer Underwood, who could push for major spots next season.

“I have high expectations for next year as well,” Brown said.