Indiana men’s golf season ends after up-and-down 2021-2022 campaign

After a nine-month grind, the Indiana males’s golf 2021-22 season has come to a detailed.

Indiana competed in six occasions within the fall and eight occasions within the spring. The Hoosiers had a 3 month break between the autumn and spring seasons, however labored indoors throughout the winter. 

“It was season total,” head coach Mike Mayer mentioned. “We had been up and down within the fall, enjoying extraordinarily effectively at occasions.”

Indiana started its rollercoaster season with two of its higher outcomes. The primary occasion was hosted by IU, who completed third on the Hoosier Collegiate in Bloomington over Labor Day Weekend. Sophomore Drew Salyers gained his first profession particular person title on the occasion and was rewarded along with his first Huge Ten Golfer of the Week award a pair days later.

Certainly one of Indiana’s greatest finishes of the 12 months got here on the Combating Illini Invitational in mid-September, the place they positioned sixth forward of six top-25 groups, together with reigning nationwide champions Pepperdine College. After a subpar efficiency on the Windon Memorial Basic in late September, Indiana gained its first stroke play event since April 2014 on the Purdue Fall Invitational in October.

“It’s onerous to beat 13-14 different groups on the similar time,” Mayer mentioned. “Profitable in West Lafayette is extraordinarily gratifying for any Indiana group.”

Mayer mentioned the group began off the spring season on a excessive be aware by successful the Huge Ten Match Play Championship for the second 12 months in a row in February. Nevertheless, to Mayer, the group’s first outing of 2022 was by far the spotlight of the spring slate, and his excessive expectations all through the rest of the season left him dissatisfied.

Indiana’s greatest consequence after the Huge Ten Match Play Championship was a sixth place end on the Kepler Intercollegiate, the ultimate common season occasion of the 12 months in late April. Within the postseason, the Hoosiers completed ninth on the Huge Ten Championships and twelfth within the NCAA Regionals simply final week.

“It’s all the time nice to make it to the postseason, not simple to do,” Mayer mentioned. 

Wanting ahead, he needs to win the Huge Ten Championship and make the NCAA Finals for a second time earlier than his teaching profession involves a detailed. On condition that Mayer has simply accomplished his twenty fourth season as Indiana head coach, many assume that his time as head coach is dwindling

Mayer mentioned that the season was stuffed with accidents. Junior Eric Berggren was out attributable to a wrist damage, junior Noah Gillard was unable to play due to his elbow and sophomore Clay Merchent damage his again forward of the NCAA Regional. 

Indiana will say goodbye to 2 fifth-year seniors, Ethan Shepherd and Evan Yakubov. Each got here again for one more 12 months to complete their graduate levels on the Kelley Faculty of Enterprise.

“It’s not simple to be a grad scholar in Kelley and to be a Division I Golfer at this stage,” Mayer mentioned. “They each needed to make great sacrifices, and it may have been simple for them to not come a fifth 12 months.”

Waiting for the 2022-23 season, loads of expertise will return to the Hoosiers’ lineup. Salyers, Merchent, Gillard, and Mitch Davis are 4 of the large names returning subsequent season for the Hoosiers. Nonetheless, Mayer has a pair massive objectives heading into the summer season.

“We’re going to get everybody wholesome,” Mayer mentioned. “That’s objective primary.” 

Mayer additionally mentioned that he has already hopped on the switch portal and can be on the street recruiting, wanting so as to add depth to the roster. He will even want to search out one other assistant coach, as present assistant Corey Ziedonis can be leaving this system.