For the sixth straight year, the Salukis came close to hoisting their first-ever conference tournament over their heads.

The SIU men’s golf team finished third in the nine-team Missouri Valley Conference Tournament that wrapped at the Dalhousie Country Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Tuesday. The finish is the Salukis sixth straight top-four finish in the conference tournament.

Head coach Leroy Newton said he was proud of the team’s work ethic and the way it held the third-place finish against tough conference competition.

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‘The teams that beat us, we just shake their hands and say, ‘good job’ because we tried as good as we could, and they just played a little better,’ Newton said.

Senior co-captain Todd Obergoenner led all Salukis with a 54-hole 225, which tied him for fourth overall in individuals. Obergoenner said he just tried to have fun in his last collegiate tournament and not worry about performing poorly.

‘I could have been sad, but I decided to enjoy it, and I ended it on birdie,’ Obergoenner said, ‘I went out the right way in my career; I had a fun day.’

Senior Phillip Collier also placed in the top 10, finishing ninth with a 54-hole 227. Junior Jordan Cox finished tied for eleventh with a 54-hole 229, while senior co-captain John Danielson finished tied for 24th with a 54-hole 236. Junior Blake Driskell never overcame his poor first round, finishing last of any individuals with a 54-hole 254.

‘No excuse, I’ve never hit the ball that bad before in my life ‘- ever,’ Driskell said. ‘Golf is like that; you never know what you’re going to get.’

Wichita State defended its crown, winning its second straight conference championship with a 54-hole 882. Illinois State finished 15 shots behind the Shockers, finishing second with a 54-hole 897. Missouri State (929) and Drake University (931) rounded out the top five.

SIU equaled its pre-conference tournament predictions. The team was selected to finish third in a coach’s poll conducted before the tournament. Illinois State and Wichita State were selected to finish first and second, respectively.

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The Salukis were considered the host at the Dalhousie Country Club, which is 50 miles from Carbondale. Collier said the short distance and crowd took some pressure off the team.

‘The athletic department came down, roommates and other teammates came. A lot of locals also came to watch us. The support was really incredible,’ Collier said.

With the season over, SIU will say goodbye to seniors Collier, Danielson and Obergoenner. The seniors all said they would look to play golf competitively after they graduate, and Collier added that they would at least turn the page onto their new lives.

‘All you can do now is move on to bigger and better things. Get a real job, play golf or do something,’ Collier said.

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