NOVEMBER 2016 - VOLUME IV EDITION XI

1700 SOUTH FOURTH ST - CHAMPAIGN, IL - 61820 - OFFICE 217.244.1142

MEN’S GOLF NEWSLETTER

Another Hall of Fame HonorIn October of 2013, Head Coach Mike Small became the youngest Illinois Golf Hall of Fame honoree. This year he joins another Hall of Fame, the Golf Coaches Association of America’s. On October 5, 2016, the GCAA announced their 2016 Hall of Fame Class and Small joined fellow coaches, Vince Clark, Mike McGraw, Tim Poe, Jay Seawell and Dick Spybey, as the latest honorees. Small will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on December 12, 2016, at the GCAA Coaches Convention Hall of Fame Reception and Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During Small’s 17 years, he has turned the Illini men’s golf team into one of the country’s elite programs. In the last two and a half years, the Fighting Illini have been the only program to be ranked in the top 10 every week. He has led the Illini to the NCAA Championship in each of the last nine years and 11 times in the last 15 years. He has guided the team to five NCAA Championship top-5 finishes in the past six years. Under Small’s leadership, the Illini have become one of only two programs in the country to win four NCAA Regional Championships in a row. Additionally, the squad has won seven of the last eight Big Ten Championships. Small has also coached two NCAA Individual Champions (Scott Langley - 2010 / Thomas Pieters - 2012). His teams have accumulated 21 All-America laurels. In 2015, Small earned the Dave Williams National Coach of the Year honor.

Congrats to Head Coach Mike Small!

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Check out FIGHTINGILLINI.COM for the latest men’s golf news!

NOVEMBER 2016 - VOLUME IV EDITION XI

1700 SOUTH FOURTH ST - CHAMPAIGN, IL - 61820 - OFFICE 217.244.1142

MEN’S GOLF NEWSLETTER

More Success in Chicago!After winning the first two tournaments of the fall season, the Illini kept their pedal to the metal! The Orange and Blue were victorious again at the Northern Intercollegiate in Chicago, on October 9-10, 2016. Rounds of 277-281-287=845 (-7) landed the team a 53-shot victory over Indiana, who was the closest competitor of the 12 team field. With seven team members competing in the field (Giovanni Tadiotto and Trevor Gold as individuals), everyone finished among the top 35 and the Illini secured the top four finishers of the event. Freshman Giovanni Tadiotto secured his first collegiate victory with rounds of 72-68-68. The 5-under par total 208 is his lowest 54-hole tournament total so far. Tadiotto finished two shots ahead of sophomore Edoardo Lipparelli. Lipparelli’s runner-up finish was highlighted with an impressive opening round 66. Junior Dylan Meyer finished third and junior Nick Hardy finished fourth, both players posting two of three rounds at under par. Freshman Bryan Baumgarten came in seventh and freshman Michael Feagles ended up in a tie for 11th place. Redshirt freshman Trevor Gold played as an individual and finished in a tie for 33rd.

Check out FIGHTINGILLINI.COM for the latest men’s golf news!

Tavistock CollegiateAfter opening up the fall with three wins, the Illini hit a speed bump at the prestigious Tavistock Collegiate Invitational in Windermere, Florida, from October 16-18, 2016. The Illini finished in a tie for eighth in the elite 15 team field. Individually, Meyer put together a solid event with rounds of 74-71-69 to finish in 11th place. Lipparelli secured a top-25 finish. Feagles, Hardy and Baumgarten also contributed to the team finish. Feagles’ week was highlighted by a 66 (-6) during the second round of the event.

NOVEMBER 2016 - VOLUME IV EDITION XI

1700 SOUTH FOURTH ST - CHAMPAIGN, IL - 61820 - OFFICE 217.244.1142

MEN’S GOLF NEWSLETTER

Stay up to date with the team by clicking here to follow the team on Twitter and here for Facebook!

Check out FIGHTINGILLINI.COM for the latest men’s golf news!

East Lake Cup Champions...Again!For the second year in a row, the Fighting Illini were victorious at the East Lake Cup in Atlanta, Georgia. The event invites the top four teams from the previous NCAA Championship. The teams competed in an 18-hole stroke play portion to determine the match play seeding. After shooting even par in the stroke play portion, the Illini were slated to compete against Texas in the semifinal round. All five matches against the Longhorns were hard fought, but the Orange and Blue won 3-2. Feagles picked up a 3&1 victory over Texas standout Scottie Scheffler. Lipparelli won 2&1 over Steven Chervony and Meyer won the deciding point over Taylor Funk, 2&1.The championship match was a rematch of last year’s NCAA semifinals, as the Illini faced the Oregon Ducks. The Illini were victorious against the Ducks with a 3-2 score. Hardy was the first match out and secured the first point for the Orange and Blue with a decisive 5&4 victory. The next point came from Lipparelli who was victorious 2&1. The final point that secured the East Lake Cup title for the Illini came from Baumgarten, who closed out his match in impressive fashion, with a 5&4 victory. En route to the tournament victory, Lipparelli won two matches and everyone else won one match each. The East Lake Cup title marked the Illini’s fourth tournament victory in their five fall events.

NOVEMBER 2016 - VOLUME IV EDITION XI

1700 SOUTH FOURTH ST - CHAMPAIGN, IL - 61820 - OFFICE 217.244.1142

MEN’S GOLF NEWSLETTER

Check out FIGHTINGILLINI.COM for the latest men’s golf news!

Getting to Know GIOVANNI TADIOTTOFreshman from Anderlecht, Belgium

What have you enjoyed the most about your experience so far at the University of Illinois?I have really enjoyed the overall team experience and also the coaches. It has been great practicing and spending time with the team, and also sharing experiences so everyone can learn from each other.

Is college golf and the team dynamic what you had expected?It is actually much more fun than what I expected! I’ve enjoyed every moment.

What have been the keys for successful time management since being in college?I make a list of all my assignments and this has helped me keep track of exactly what I have to do and when the work is due.

What have been your most interesting and challenging classes so far?I really like my RST (sport management) and kinesiology class because I’m really interested in all the topics that we’re discussing. The most challenging class would be math. I have always loved math and it has come easy to me in the past, but now that I am learning in a different language, math requires much more study time in order for me to understand the concepts.

What clubs do you have in your bag?Everything in my bag is Titleist. I have a 52 and 56 degree Vokey wedge. My PW to 5 iron are Titleist AP2 with KBS tour shafts. I also have a 4, 3 and 2 iron, which are Titleist TMB 716. I currently have a 915F fairway wood and my driver is the 915D3 model with 9.5 degrees. My putter is the Scotty Cameron Select Newport.

Who is your favorite golfer and why?My favorite players that are alive are Thomas Pieters and Matt Kuchar. Pieters because he is an incredible player and I am following his path from Belgium to the University and Kuchar because I met him and it is easy to see how much he likes his job, and that he works hard and is always happy. My favorite player of all time would be Ben Hogan. I read about his life, watched videos and saw pictures. He is a lover of the game and he never stopped working. I learned stuff for my own game by reading about Ben Hogan.

What has been your most memorable golfing experience so far?I don’t really have a specific moment because I have had so many great memories in different ways. Winning a tournament is always memorable, especially this year in my third event at the University of Illinois! I have so many other memories with coaches and family. Even sometimes bad tournaments can become memorable because of what I learned or because the event made me closer to my parents who always support me; win or lose.

What are the strengths of your game?I’m a fighter until the very end. I’m a long hitter which is helpful and I have a lot of creativity around the greens and when faced with a hard shot. My putting has always been a strength as well. It has not been a strength yet since coming to America, but it will come, I just have to get used to the different greens.

How did it feel to win in just your third collegiate event?It felt very good to win! I felt very confident at Beverly Country Club. I didn’t worry about the title, which seemed to help me stay in my game, stay focused and play smart golf. Coach has helped me so much about playing smart golf. Even bad shots turned out with great results by playing smart. I thought the golf course was beautiful and a great design. If you didn’t play smart, the course would make you pay with bogeys. It was a great experience!

NOVEMBER 2016 - VOLUME IV EDITION XI

1700 SOUTH FOURTH ST - CHAMPAIGN, IL - 61820 - OFFICE 217.244.1142Check out FIGHTINGILLINI.COM for the latest men’s golf news!

MEN’S GOLF NEWSLETTER

Illini Golf Caddy ClubThanks to the many Illini Golf Caddy Club members that joined us for the 2nd Annual Meet & Greet Event on October 21st. Our team enjoyed the opportunity to meet and chat with you! We hope you had fun getting to know the team members and watching them practice at our facilities. In case you haven’t joined or rejoined yet for the 2016-17 season, it is not too late! Please click here to learn more about signing up for the club. For the $100 membership fee, Caddy Club members receive a complimentary round of golf with cart at the University of Illinois Golf Course and Stone Creek Golf Club, a t-shirt, car decal, monthly newsletter and an invitation to the meet and greet event. Plus, Caddy Club members can email in question(s) for the team as we will provide a “Got a Question, Get an Answer” section in each newsletter. This is your direct link to the minds of the team!At the end of November we will do the drawings for the 2016 Big Ten Championship putter cover and the 2015-16 signed and framed team picture. If you referred a new 2016-17 Caddy Club member, then you have a chance at these unique team items!

Have a Question, Get an Answer!Question from David E. from Aurora, Illinois - How far past the hole do you try to leave the ball on a downhill putt (if it doesn’t go in!)?Answer from junior Dylan Meyer who holds the team’s lowest putting average after the fall with a 29.08 average - 2-3 feet past the hole.