Even though it was only 26 degrees outside, Saint Louis University golfer Adam Trower was on fire.
Trower led the Billikens to a third-place finish at the Butler Spring Invitational March 25 and 26 in Indianapolis. The sophomore won the tournament, shooting a 71, becoming just the fifth Billiken to win a tournament title and the first since 1998.
Last week, Trower was named the Conference-USA Golfer of the Week.
“Adam battled a little bit earlier in the spring, so I couldn’t be more proud of him for playing so well under difficult conditions at Butler,” coach Ed Schwent said earlier in a press release. “What a great honor for him not only to win the tournament, but also to be selected as the top performer in a very tough conference.”
Trower was coming off two upsetting tournaments in Florida, and originally wanted to work on his game and not enter in the tournament.
“I had been playing so poorly earlier in the spring, so I wanted to take a week off to improve my game, but my coach persuaded me to enter the tournament,” Trower said. “Before the tournament, I was having good practice sessions. I was determined to play well after the two trips to Florida.”
At the beginning of March, Trower averaged an 81 for his three games at the Eagle Invitational in Ft. Myers, which would be good enough for a tie for 12th place. The Bills finished fourth overall in the tournament.
Two weeks later, Trower averaged an 84.5 in the St. John’s Treasure Coast Classic in Port St. Lucie, tying for 108th place.
Trower’s determination to improve was evident at the Butler tourney, and not only was Trower performing well in the cold Indianapolis weather, but the entire team was showing improvement.
“We were trying to keep it together,” Trower said. “It looked like we had a chance to win it as a team, and I didn’t even realize that I had a chance to win until the last couple of holes.”
With the solid showing at the Butler tournament under their belts, the Billikens are looking forward to their trip to Nashville this weekend for the Belmont Invitational before hosting their lone home tournament on April 16 and 17.
