As homecoming week ended, the Bradley men’s golf team extended the celebrations into Monday afternoon.
Hosting their first tournament since the 2015-16 season, the Braves took first place at the Coyote Creek Classic on Oct. 4-5.
Looking to defend their home course, Bradley came out swinging early, defeating the six-team field to win their second consecutive tournament title, their first since 2017.
“I thought it was great that we finally had a men’s home tournament, and it was nice for these guys to be able to play in front of home crowds and our staff,” head coach Jeff Roche said.
Bradley opened a 14-stroke lead after 18 holes and held pole position for the rest of the tournament.
“There was a little more expectation from the player standpoint that we’re hosting and defending our own course, and I think that probably put a little more pressure on some of the guys,” Roche said. “But, every round at the end when it mattered, our guys were tough as nails.”
The pressure of performing in front of hometown fans can affect some athletes’ performances, but it didn’t stop the Braves.
“It was nice to finally have a team of guys that are tough enough mentally to hunker down and just grind it out down the stretch,” senior Carter Stevenson said.
When the dust settled, five Braves finished in the top 10, including the overall champion. Stevenson finished four strokes under par, capturing his first individual title at the collegiate level in a comeback.
After a rough round two, in which he shot four over par, Stevenson fell back to second. In round three, he duked it out with ICC’s Connor Watson until the final hole, where Stevenson’s birdie secured the win.
Winning tournaments takes years of practice, but home turf was a major advantage.
“I’ve played that course so many times to where I wasn’t really nervous,” Stevenson said. “I had one goal in my mind, and I was just going to do my best to stick to my process and try and stay focused as best I can.”
Stevenson stuck to his game plan, opening the tournament with a five-under-par showing and closing out the final 18 holes three strokes under par to win.
Looking at the rest of the roster, freshman Gavin Schreurs took home the bronze as an individual, and he joined Stevenson as one of only three golfers to finish under par.
His two-under-par final round was the best collegiate round he’s played for the Braves. His round-three performance tied him with senior Brody McCarthy for the second-best score.
McCarthy was the next Brave in the top 10, finishing sixth. Like Stevenson, he played well from start to finish, finishing the first 18 one under and the last 18 two under.
Sophomore Joey Cerney finished six strokes above par for ninth, and freshman Michael Johansen tied for tenth. Johansen also competed individually, recovering nicely from his first round to post a one-under par and an even 18.
Senior Quinn Cox and sophomore TJ Quinn rounded out the scoring for the team with Cox tying for 12th and Quinn placing 28th.
Bradley is back in action in just under two weeks as they head to the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 19-20, their final fall tournament of the season.
