43rd Annual WIU Beu/Mussatto Concluded Tuesday Afternoon

Nate Davis led Western with a 227 and finished tied for ninth place

Nate Davis

FINAL RESULTS | Photos

MACOMB, Ill. – Senior Nate Davis tied for ninth place overall to lead Western Illinois men's golf as the 43rd annual WIU Beu/Mussatto Invitational concluded Tuesday afternoon (April 21) at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course. Davis opened the with scores of 74 and 75 on day one before wrapping up the event with a third-round score of 78.

?"Nate (Davis) has been our top player for the last three years, I really wish this last home event would have turned out a little better for him, but he has really been a great player for our program," said head coach Mel Blasi. "Overall Nate as had a great year, I think he is very much looking forward to the league championships, and I think he has an opputinity to be one of the top players in the league championships. So I'm exited for him."

As a team, the purple squad finished in seventh with a 935 (314-315-306) and the gold team in 10th with a 995 (335-322-338).

"I was really pleased that we were able to come out and play our best round in the third round. Today we shot a 306, which was one of the better scores of the day. The guys really held it together mentally. "I think that even though you are on your home course, you have family members and other people that are watching you play that are not normally there. You want to perform well, you're excited, and maybe a little bit anxious too. I thought yesterday we came out very flat and didn't execute shots. Maybe it was a little bit because of nerves, I don't know," continued Blasi.

Sophomore Austin Von Alst tallied a 236 and finished tied for 33rd place. Von Aslt led the gold team with scores of 80, 76 and 80 in the three rounds.

Andrew Blackburn, a sophomore golfer, finished tied for 36th with a 238 (81-82-75), followed by junior Alex Templin and sophomore Carter Morrison who each finished with a 239 and tied for 39th place.

Freshman Sean Miller tied for 49th place with a 245 (84-84-77).

Competing in the final home event of his career was senior Alex Flaugher who, along with junior Nick Wysocki, finished tied for 53rd with a 248. Flaugher tallied single-round marks of 82, 79 and 87, while Wysocki had scores of 84, 82 and 82.

Junior Tanner Ludwig (263) and freshman Connor Rejman (288) rounded out Western's team scores finishing in 58th and 59th place, respectively.

William Woods won the team crown with an 892 (301-289-302), while Owls David Houlding and Matt Wells tied for first individually with scores of 219.

"Overall I was very satisfied with the competition that we brought in. Even though the conditions were difficult with the strong winds, the golf course was in terrific shape. In terms of the event, William Woods is a deserving winner. They were able to hold off a tough Bradley team. It came down to the last few holes, which is what you want. You want it to be very competitive, and come down to the very end. So that's what we wanted as far a competition in the field goes, but we weren't one of those teams which is very unfortunate," concluded Blasi.

The men's golf team will compete in the 2015 Summit League Championships May 1-3.

7. Western Illinois Purple: 314-315-306--935
T9. Nate Davis: 74-75-78--227
T36. Andrew Blackburn: 81-82-75--238
T39. Alex Templin: 76-78-85--239
T39. Carter Morrison: 83-80-76--239
T49. Sean Miller: 84-84-77--245

10. Western Illinois Gold: 335-322-338--995
T33. Austin Von Alst: 80-76-80--236
T53. Alex Flaugher: 82-79-87--248
T53. Nick Wysocki: 84-82-82--248
58. Tanner Ludwig: 89-85-89--263
59. Connor Rejman: 95-90-103--288

TEAM STANDINGS:
1. William Woods: 301-289-302--892
2. Bradley: 305-289-301--895
3. Indian Hills: 298-296-316--910
4. IUPUI: 309-304-30--917
5. Omaha: 313-293-312--918
6. Cardinal Stritch: 307-307-306--920
7. Western Illinois Purple: 314 -315-306--935
8. North Dakota State: 322-314-317--953
9. St. Ambrose: 323-309-332--964
10. Western Illinois Gold: 335-322-338--995