Indianapolis, IN - The McKendree University Men's Golf Team battled through soggy fairways, standing water, and a weather delay, but showed its resilience at the UIndy Invitational this week at Broadmoor Country Club. Heavy rain on the opening day made conditions tricky, with soft fairways and slower greens greeting the field. Even so, the Bearcats and their competitors found ways to take advantage, adjusting to the pace of play while navigating delays that stretched into the latter moments of the second round. By the end of three rounds, McKendree carded a team score of 856 (-8) to finish third of 14 teams at the event, including eight other Great Lakes Valley Conference members.
TRYSTAN DU PLESSIS | T-11TH PLACE | -5 / 211
Du Plessis delivered a strong event for the Bearcats, bouncing back from an opening +1/73 with a pair of three under-par 69s. His second round was fueled by birdies at 2, 4, 5, and 7 on the front nine, giving McKendree an early boost in momentum. He carried that consistency into the final day, again making three birdies on the front side before adding another at 12. Even when bogeys appeared at 12, 14, and 15 across the final two rounds, he steadied himself and closed strong to secure a tie for 11th. His ability to string together birdies on the opening stretch of holes proved key in keeping the Bearcats inside the top three on the team leaderboard.
EDISON WU | T-18TH PLACE | -3 / 213
Wu made an impressive debut at the UIndy Invite, opening with a one-under 71 highlighted by birdies at 5 and 12. He followed that up with a two-under 70 in round two, where he capitalized late with birdies at 13, 15, and 17 to move himself firmly into the Top 20. Though he faced a pair of bogeys at 14 and 15 in the final round, he answered with a birdie at 12 and steadied his card for an even-par 72. Across the three rounds, Wu's ability to turn in red numbers on the back nine gave McKendree valuable depth behind Du Plessis. His tie for 18th was a strong early-season statement that emphasized his potential as a consistent scorer.
THIERRY BOUCHER | T-46TH PLACE | +5 / 221
Boucher turned in one of the best rounds of the tournament for any player with a five-under 67 on round two. That round featured birdies at 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, and 14, including a run of three in a row to vault the Bearcats up the standings. He began the event with a 73 that included birdies at 4 and 13. Boucher's ability to go low in round two provided McKendree with a spark and showed how dangerous he can be when everything is clicking.
AIDAN O'KEEFE | T-46TH PLACE | +5 / 221
O'Keefe put together a quality showing highlighted by a closing-round E/72. In that final round, he birdied the par-3 7th to go out in 34, before finishing with another birdie at 18 to cap a balanced day. His first two rounds of 74 and 75 each included stretches of solid play, with birdies at 7 and 18 in round one and another at 18 in round two. O'Keefe's consistency across all three rounds ensured the Bearcats' depth.
TRISTAN TRAUSTASON | T-46TH PLACE | +5 / 221
Traustason's week at Broadmoor was highlighted by stretches of momentum where he found ways to attack the course, particularly on the back nine of his second round. After making the turn at +3, he responded with birdies at 10, 14, 16, and 17 to shoot 35 on the closing side and finish with a 73. He opened the event with a 74, using birdies at 7, 11, and 15 to keep his scorecard moving in the right direction despite a couple of late bogeys. In the final round, he once again found the par-3 7th for birdie while holding his ground against challenging pins. Though his cards included bumps along the way, Traustason's ability to generate offense on scoring holes gave the Bearcats another valuable contributor insode of the Top 50.
DHAYANIJ IEMKANITCHAT | T-58TH PLACE | +8 / 224
Iemkanitchat showed resilience by saving his best for last, closing with a -1/71 after rounds of 75 and 78. His final round was highlighted by birdies at 1, 13, and 15, allowing him to climb the standings on the final day. The early rounds included challenges, with bogeys at 3, 9, and 11 in round one and a double at 12 in round two, yet his ability to regroup and finish under par on the closing day provided McKendree with a needed boost. Ending the week under 225, Iemkanitchat capped a complete effort for the Bearcats, as all six players contributed solid scores to the team total.
TEAM SCORING
1st Place | Grand Valley State | -51 / 813
2nd Place | Hillsdale | -28 / 836
3rd Place | McKendree | -8 / 856
T-4th Place | Gannon | -6 / 858
T-4th Place | Ferris State | -6 / 858
6th Place | Missouri S&T | -3 / 861
7th Place | Drury | +1 / 865
8th Place | Illinois-Springfield | +3 / 867
T-9th Place | Chaleston (WV) | +6 / 870
T-9th Place | UIndy | +6 / 870
11th Place | Lewis | +13 / 877
12th Place | Roosevelt | +21 / 885
13th Place | Quincy | +31 / 895
14th Place | Maryville | N/A; Individuals Only
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS - NCAA DII MIDWEST REGIONAL PREVIEW
McKendree now turns its attention to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Preview, set for September 29th-30th at Rock Hollow Golf Club in Peru, Indiana. The event brings together a strong 16-team field featuring GLVC opponents such as Maryville, Drury, Rockhurst, Illinois-Springfield, Quincy, and UMSL, along with regional powers Findlay, Hillsdale, Saginaw Valley State, and more. Rock Hollow, a family-owned course since its opening in 1995, has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top 10 public courses in Indiana. Known for its rolling hills, wetlands, and championship pedigree as a host of multiple state tournaments, the layout will provide another challenging but exciting test as the Bearcats look to build on their third-place finish at the UIndy Invitational.
