Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Monday, March 9
Lafayette, LA
Southern Illinois University
at
Louisiana Classics
Oliver Ulrich
Men’s Golf Looking to Get Hot in Louisiana
03/08/2026 | 12:57:00 | Men's Golf
Southern Illinois men's golf will head to Louisiana for its next challenge at the Louisiana Classics on Monday and Tuesday (March 9–10). The two-day, 54-hole tournament features a 16-team field and will be contested at Oakbourne Country Club (par 72, 6,866 yards).
"The course will require some discipline off the tee and into the greens," the director of men's golf, Justin Fetcho, said. "It's an older country club with lots of trees and doglegs. We will need to make sure we are committed to our game plan for each shot."
As is tradition for the Louisiana Classics, the final day and closing hole (No. 9) will be streamed live on ESPN+, with Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member Dan McDonald calling the action.
The 2026 Louisiana Classics field includes 16 teams: East Tennessee State, Illinois State, Lamar, Little Rock, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston, South Alabama, Southern Illinois, Texas A&M and Texas State.
Southern Illinois is currently ranked No. 92 in the country. In its last outing, the team finished in the top 10, adding to its streak of consecutive top-10 finishes this season. The Salukis have three top-three finishes this year.
The lineup for Southern Illinois will include Anthony Deschutter, Ben Keil, Blake Saffell, Jaeseung Na and Oliver Ulrich.
The team posted its best round of the season at the Hal Williams Collegiate, but its second round left a lot to be desired. Consistency will be key this time around if the Salukis want to secure another top-three finish. Anthony de Schutter led the way for Southern Illinois throughout the tournament, finishing 20th overall at 2-under par while providing consistency across all three rounds.
The team's scoring average is 284.8, with 30.6 points. Fetcho knows his team is ready for the challenge.
"We are ready to get out and compete again. It is another opportunity for us to continue to grow and get better," Fetcho said. "The entire team has been working hard the last few weeks. Now is the time for us to take all that work, along with the mentality that we need to be successful, and put it together this week in competition."
"The course will require some discipline off the tee and into the greens," the director of men's golf, Justin Fetcho, said. "It's an older country club with lots of trees and doglegs. We will need to make sure we are committed to our game plan for each shot."
As is tradition for the Louisiana Classics, the final day and closing hole (No. 9) will be streamed live on ESPN+, with Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member Dan McDonald calling the action.
The 2026 Louisiana Classics field includes 16 teams: East Tennessee State, Illinois State, Lamar, Little Rock, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston, South Alabama, Southern Illinois, Texas A&M and Texas State.
Southern Illinois is currently ranked No. 92 in the country. In its last outing, the team finished in the top 10, adding to its streak of consecutive top-10 finishes this season. The Salukis have three top-three finishes this year.
The lineup for Southern Illinois will include Anthony Deschutter, Ben Keil, Blake Saffell, Jaeseung Na and Oliver Ulrich.
The team posted its best round of the season at the Hal Williams Collegiate, but its second round left a lot to be desired. Consistency will be key this time around if the Salukis want to secure another top-three finish. Anthony de Schutter led the way for Southern Illinois throughout the tournament, finishing 20th overall at 2-under par while providing consistency across all three rounds.
The team's scoring average is 284.8, with 30.6 points. Fetcho knows his team is ready for the challenge.
"We are ready to get out and compete again. It is another opportunity for us to continue to grow and get better," Fetcho said. "The entire team has been working hard the last few weeks. Now is the time for us to take all that work, along with the mentality that we need to be successful, and put it together this week in competition."
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