The first-round hole the SIUC men’s golf team dug this weekend at the Illinois State University Fall Invitational proved too deep to climb out of, leaving the Dawgs in 13th place out of a 17-team tournament field. Drake won the tournament scoring an 884.

Head coach Gene Shaneyfelt said SIUC’s first round score of 325 did not live up to his expectations.

The first round was an embarrassment, he said. When we shoot 325 it is an 81 team average. That’s horrible on the level we should be at.

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Sophomore golfer Greg Goodwin, who finished the tournament tied for 68th, agreed the first round was critical to the team’s finish.

Our first round really held us back, he said. It’s what put us in the back half of the field.

SIUC’s short game continued to slow the team in competition.

Our short game is just absolutely horrible, Shaneyfelt said. It is what we’ll be concentrating on the next two weeks.

Freshman Todd Eaker said the mental aspect of golf worked against the Dawgs on the individual level as well.

I wasn’t ready to go, as far as mentally preparing myself for the long day, he said.

Eaker ended the tournament tied for 73rd in the 89-player field.

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The team has been working on improving their mental game throughout the fall. Shaneyfelt said the squad has several days without practice and hopes players return to the course with a positive frame of mind.

Goodwin also said the team lacked depth at the ISU tournament.

We had three of four playing well, he said. We couldn’t get our fourth and fifth (players) to contribute all at once.

SIUC’s scores improved to 306 and 304 in the second and third rounds, but the Dawgs could not recover.