The Saint Louis University golf team battled through Monday and Tuesday’s heat and wind to earn the team a title at their own Billiken Invitational played at Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Ill.
“Though we hit record highs at the beginning of the week, the heat made it more enjoyable,” said freshman Evan Frederick.
This is the first time the Bills have topped the leaderboard under the direction of coach Ed Schwent. Schwent joined the Billiken program in September of 1998.
Seniors Scott Fann, Andy Poe and Justin Haupt have been with Schwent throughout his tenure at SLU.
The three seniors, as well as junior Adam Trowere and Frederick, made up the winning team.
Frederick missed the individual medalist honors by one stroke. He was beat out by Nathan Colson of Marquette, who had a three round score of 217 (four shots over par).
After Monday’s play Frederick was tied for second at plus one. He shot a 72 and 71 respectfully, as did Colson.
The two golfers were one stroke behind Lindenwood’s Dan Brown, who ended up third for the tournament.
“I was proud to come back from a bad start,” Frederick said.
Frederick went plus six after the first nine holes on Tuesday. Colson was only plus three after 12. Frederick proved his home-course advantage with a birdie on 15 and again on 18, as the gallery watched on. He posted a 75 for the round, cutting Colson’s lead to one.
Coupling the heat and the strong winds, Frederick said, “With the tough conditions, knowing the course helped.”
All the Bills used their home-course advantage to stay atop the leaderboard throughout the event. After a tiring 36 holes, the team went in the clubhouse with a score of 592. Following closely after day one were Missouri Baptist with 595 and Lindenwood with 598.
Round three proved to be a struggle for Missouri Baptist as they fell to sixth place, posting a 314. They finished sixth at 909 for the tournament.
Lindenwood didn’t disappear though. They stayed in it with a 305 Tuesday. This gave them a third place finish behind UW Green Bay, who improved from eighth, putting a 295 on the board after round three.
The Billikens five put up clutch scores in round three to command the lead. Fann, Trower and Poe had steady first rounds. Fann continued his solid play on Tuesday with a 74. He took fifth in the field of 87 golfers.
Trower and Poe had some difficulty in the second round, but they posted decent scores the final day. The two struggled with the front nine on Tuesday, but pulled out all the stops down the line.
On Tuesday, Haupt was the first Billiken out on the course. He paved the way for the rest of the team. The Bills knew Haupt was starting off well, which let them know they were still in it.
His two-over 73 in the final round was crucial for the team. Monday was a long day at the golf course for Haupt, posting scores of 79 and 82, coupled with nearly 90 degree weather.
The field at the Invitational was tough, with teams like Lindenwood, UMKC and Evansville. Tuesday’s win was a great way to end regular play and segue into the Conference USA Championship.
Schwent said a championship will be diffiuclt because the Bills have strong teams in their conference.
“We’ve got good guys. If we’ve got everybody playing well, we’ve got a good chance at conference,” Schwent said.
The team will travel to Navarre, Fla., to wrap up the season beginning Monday, April 22.
