If you are familiar with Missouri Valley Conference golf or have spent time perusing the SIU golf page, you have encountered the name Anthony De Schutter. He is a fifth-year golfer from Bree, Belgium, who has cemented himself in the Saluki record books and looks to continue making SIU history in his final year.
De Schutter has played for three schools throughout his collegiate career, but has called Southern Illinois University home for the last two seasons under the guidance of head coach Justin Fetcho. The 2024-25 season was his first as a Saluki, and he was already making his presence known by winning the MVC Newcomer of the Year award, being named to the All-MVC Team, and achieving the fourth-lowest single-season scoring average in SIU history (71.91).
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De Schutter did not want to stop there, however. He has now claimed three individual titles throughout the fall portion of the 2025-26 season, making him one of two SIU golfers to accomplish such a feat.
“When you come back for a fifth year and get that opportunity from Coach to come back, one of the goals I had was just to win one,” De Schutter said. “I was never really thinking about being the guy with the most, but that’s definitely something I am looking at right now.”
To begin the season, De Schutter and the SIU golf team traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, for the Wildcat Invitational, where he took first place and claimed his first title.
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“My goal was to win a college event; to be able to do that was amazing,” De Schutter said.
Coach Fetcho has seen a major improvement in De Schutter’s mentality from his first to his second season at SIU.
“The jump that he has made from last year to this year has been impressive,” Fetcho said. “More so in his mental game, the way he conducts himself, the way that he is more professional and his attitude at practices… I think it has paid off for him in the long run.”
Along with Fetcho, De Schutter attributes his leap to the stronger mentality he has developed.
“I think that was kind of the missing piece,” De Schutter said. “My confidence levels, my thought process, the things I have 100% control over — I make sure that those are absolutely perfect because you can’t hit every golf shot perfectly.”
De Schutter’s teammates have also played a big role in his success.
“We have an extremely talented group of guys. It’s awesome to be surrounded by guys who have the same goals as you and want to get better every day; it’s amazing,” De Schutter said.
Fetcho, who has coached at SIU for 10 seasons, said that everybody’s trying to push one another to be their best.
“I think that’s what’s made this group and this start of the season so much different than any others,” Fetcho said.
De Schutter has been a Saluki for the past two years and praised the SIU golf program and Fetcho’s coaching style.
“I think the way we work is just completely different,” De Schutter said. “A lot of it is Coach. The way he sets up his practices, the way he pushes us, it’s a lot better in my opinion than other programs.”
When SIU traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana, for the Purdue Invitational, De Schutter felt extra motivated to win his record-tying third title.
“He just did his thing,” Fetcho said. “It’s a tough golf course; other people fell a bit, and he made some birdies coming down the stretch… ultimately, he’s walking down the last hole with a one-shot lead.”
That victory stood out to Fetcho due to De Schutter’s determined approach.
“He didn’t have to go and be someone he wasn’t; he didn’t have to go chasing anything down; he didn’t have to be any more aggressive in certain spots… what we’re seeing from him is just an emotional maturity that we haven’t seen in a while,” Fetcho said.
Overall, De Schutter has benefited greatly from an additional year with the team and under Fetcho’s mentorship.
“I just feel it when I’m playing, a completely different person; a completely different mindset. It definitely helped me to come back and work with Coach for another year,” De Schutter said.
Anthony De Schutter will play in his final semester starting Feb. 8, 2026, in Puerto Rico for the Palmas Del Mar Collegiate.
Sports reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at [email protected]
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