Final Results
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. -- The Purdue men's golf team posted the third-lowest score of the final round and finished in a tie for eighth place at the Olympia Fields Country Club / Fighting Illini Invitational.
The tournament is considered one of the most-prestigious events in collegiate golf as eight of the 15 teams in the field competed in last year's NCAA Championships and 12 of the top 32-ranked teams in last year's final Golfweek poll competed at the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club.
"We did a very good job managing our games this week, considering that we didn't have our best stuff," head coach Rob Bradley said. "I am really proud of the ways the guys hung in and fought today. Austin (Eoff), Brian (Carlson) and Fernando (Barco) all played very solid rounds today. This was a very strong field and today's round should give us confidence moving forward."
The Boilermakers saved their best round for last, shooting a 5-over par 285 for a 54-hole total of 34-over par 874 (291-298-285). Purdue entered the day in an 11th-place tie, but quickly moved up three spots into a tie for eighth place with USC, which was ranked second in the preseason Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) poll.
Host Illinois won the event at 5-over par 845 and was followed by Oklahoma State (+18), Texas A&M (+24), North Carolina (+26), Florida State (+27), UNLV (+28), Texas (+33) and then Purdue (+34) and USC (+34). Baylor (+41), Northwestern (+42), Arizona State (+42), Alabama (+43), Indiana (+45) and Army (+73) rounded out the field.
Leading the Boilermakers in the final round was senior Austin Eoff, who fired a season-low, 2-under par 68 to catapult him into a 12th-place tie at 3-over par 213 (74-71-68). Eoff started his round with nine straight pars, before posting back-to-back birdies on his 10th and 11th holes. A bogey dropped him to 1-over par after 12 holes, but birdies on his 13th and 14th holes moved him to 3-under par on his round. Another bogey on his 15th hole dropped him again to 2-under par, but he would par his last three holes for the third-best individual round of the day.
His 12th-place showing marked his 23rd career top-20 finish coming in his 40th career event.
Junior Brian Carlson and senior Fernando Barco both finished tied for 22nd at 8-over par 218 after posting final rounds of 1-over par 71.
Carlson was 1-under par through 10 holes, before falling to 2-over par after sustaining bogeys on three of his next four holes. A key birdie on his 16th hole improved him to 1-over par and aided in Purdue's final round surge. Carlson finished with rounds of 72-75-71=218 (+8).
Outside of a second-round 76, Barco had a strong tournament finishing at 8-over par 218 (71-76-71). Barco had two birdies, 13 pars and three bogeys during his round.
Timmy Hildebrand finished tied for 54th at 17-over par 227 (76-76-75). Hildebrand was 6-over par through 13 holes today, but played the final five holes in 1-under par to aid Purdue's team score.
Jarle Volden finished tied for 72nd at 26-over par 236 (74-81-81).
The Boilermakers will conclude their busy, opening stretch Sunday and Monday in the Windon Memorial Classic in Glenview, Illinois. Purdue is the defending champion, but will be playing without Fernando Barco, who will be competing for Peru in the World Amateur Team Championships in Riviera Maya, Mexico, beginning Sept. 21.
Purdue Surges to 8th at Olympia Fields
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