Hugo Archer finds home in Carbondale

Growing up in France, Hugo Archer didn't play the sports most Americans are accustomed to in their early years. Instead of baseball and football, he played rugby, soccer, tennis and even swam.

He also played golf. While he continues to play some of the others for fun, golf was always the sport that was a constant.

Archer said in France, there aren't too many options. It's either turn professional or go to college.

For Archer, he chose college and that's what brought him to Southern Illinois after he spent his last two seasons at the University of Kentucky.

"I don't remember the reason why, but I guess that kind of paid off," he said of his choice to pursue golf.

After a stop in Lexington, Archer said he needed a change. He wanted somewhere he could grow but also bond with those around him. Archer entered the transfer portal at the end of his sophomore year and after going back to France, Carbondale came calling.

Archer thought he had his next spot figured out but again, things just didn't shake out for the soon-to-be junior. Then Southern Head Coach Justin Fetcho reached out to Archer.

"We are so thankful that Hugo chose to become a Saluki," Fetcho said. "He has fit in seamlessly with the rest of the players and with our culture and environment."

He said he looked at the schedule for the Salukis and after talking to Fetcho, knew he was going to be challenged, something he welcomed.

Another aspect Archer was looking forward to was the mixture of American and European players. At UK, he was the only non-American on the roster but he said the Southern roster was a good mix of both.

"When I got here, it was even better because everybody was going together so well," he said.

When it came to the things Archer liked about Carbondale early on, there were plenty. From the campus to the facilities, he said he liked the countryside feel of the area.

"I've never been a big city guy," he said. "I like the country a little bit more, not the music though."

For Archer, it's been the right decision to make the move to SIU and it's been reflected in his play.

After a disappointing T53rd in his first tournament at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, Archer has turned in four top-20 performances and two rounds in the 60s for the Salukis. In his final four tournaments, the Salukis used Archer's score in all but one round in the team score.

"To have someone come into our program from a Power 5 program, especially a conference as powerful as the SEC, that played in the SEC Championship for his team and fit in so well, I think shows very positive things on both sides," Fetcho said. "For Hugo, it shows that he could swallow his pride and ego and say, I am going to a place where I can improve and get better everyday even if it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of a Power 5 program. Sometimes that is very difficult to do, but I think that shows the type of person that Hugo is and what he wants for his future.

"For our program, I think that it shows that we try and do everything in our power to operate as if we are one of those Power 5 programs. We work hard, we schedule hard and we do whatever it takes to become better. Just because we don't have something that someone else has doesn't mean we aren't going to work as hard if not harder to be successful. We've always prided ourselves on hard work and player improvement and I think Hugo wanted to be a part of that kind of environment and culture."

Archer said his best golf is ahead of him as it's the little things they do in practice that make such big impacts on his game. He said from the drills to what they do in the weight room, he's in the best shape of his life.

"I remember saying to the guys a few times that like, that was probably the best decision I ever made," he said of his transfer from Kentucky.

Going forward, Archer said he's working toward continually finishing in the top-10, top-20 but he also doesn't want to diminish his finishes as the Salukis play a spring schedule that features Florida State, Purdue and Indiana.

"I look forward to continuing to watch Hugo grow and flourish in our program," Fetcho said. "I think we got a taste of what he is capable of this fall but I know he has another gear we haven't seen yet. Once we are able to tap into that next level that he has, he is going to do some very special things here at SIU."

Southern starts the spring season Feb. 20 when it heads to the Bayou City Collegiate Classic, hosted by Rice University in Houston.

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