The Bradley men’s golf team continued its successful start to the season, shooting a team score of 880 and placing third overall at the Derek Dolenc Invitational in Edwardsville, Illinois. Sophomore Drake Bushong led the Braves by shooting a 215, good enough to earn him a tie for fourth, while junior Ethan Brue tied his lowest score of the year with a two-under 69 in the last round of the invitational.
“I was finally able to play well,” Bushong said. “I struggled a little bit in the first two tournaments I played this year. Something clicked this week, and the lower scores were a result of that.”
The conditions at the par-71 Gateway National Golf Links were not ideal, but Bushong, who was able to lean on experience, was able to earn his third top-10 finish of the young season and 10th of his career.
“I played this course last year, so I knew all about it and was pretty comfortable with it,” Bushong said. “Conditions were a little tougher this year. The course was softer because of rain, and it was windier, especially the second day.”
While Bushong led the Braves, shooting a three-over 74 in Tuesday’s final round to finish nine shots off the individual lead, Brue had the low round of the day for the team with a two-under 69. Brue, who finished the event in a tie for eighth at 217, has now shot 70 or better in the final round of every tournament. Brue has also placed in the top-10 in each.
“Ethan has been a real leader on the team this year both on the course and off,” head coach Jeff Roche said. “He’s added the element of competitive toughness to our team. He pushes everyone to work harder and get better and is also able to back that up on the course, which is what you want to see as a coach.”
Out of the 15-team field, Bradley turned in the second-lowest score in the final round at nine-over 293 to move up to third overall. The Braves finished three shots behind second-place SIU Edwardsville (877) and five shots behind champion Missouri State (875).
The Braves have now taken first, second and third in their first three tournaments of the season, and the results may stem from their philosophy of not letting anything get in their way.
“Whether it’s the teams we’re facing, the course or the weather we like to face the challenges head on,” Roche said.
The early success the team has seen this season has not come as a surprise to Bushong, though.
“Coming into the season, I expected us to be a lot better and a more competitive team than last year just from the recruits we brought in and our overall talent level,” Bushong said. “I’m definitely expecting us to do some great things and hopefully win a [Missouri Valley Conference] championship.”
The Bradley men’s golf team will tee it up again Oct. 3rd at the Zach Johnson Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa.
