Despite besting its top 54-hole performance this season by six strokes, the Marquette golf team (18-under, 846) came up four strokes short at the Big East tournament, finishing third behind Louisville (22-under, 842) and conference champion Notre Dame (also 22-under). The Fighting Irish stormed back, making up a 12-shot deficit in the final round to win The Big East title in a playoff.
"If you would have told me at the beginning of the week we would shoot 18-under and finish third, I would have laughed," said senior Kyle Murphy. "We played excellent and Louisville and Norte Dame played their heads off."
Senior Joe Weber (11-under, 205) led the Golden Eagles in his collegiate finale with an outstanding second-place finish. He set a Marquette golf record for lowest score in a tournament by three strokes. Freshman Mike Van Sickle set the previous mark earlier this season at the John Piper Intercollegiate. Weber's finish also gave the Golden Eagles their first Top-10 finish at a conference championship event since Mike Johnston placed sixth at the 1999 Conference USA Championship.
Weber's mark was three shots behind individual conference champion Derek Fathauer of Louisville (14-under, 202).
Although the team had one of its best seasons in school history, it is unlikely it will be invited to compete in the NCAA Regionals.
"There seems to be a 99 percent chance that we won't be playing in regionals," Van Sickle said. "We may have turned some heads with our score in the Big East Tournament and we might have had a more legitimate shot if we would have finished second, but losing to Norte Dame and Louisville hurt."
In the Big East, Norte Dame has the automatic bid to play in the regionals and it appears only Louisville has a strong enough regular-season record and strength of schedule to be invited. This result does not sit too well with the Golden Eagles.
"We could have accepted losing to Louisville with them playing as well as they did, but for Norte Dame to come back and win from behind, it was hard to swallow," Murphy said.
Despite their disappointment with the team result, the golfers did put up respectable individual finishes. Murphy and sophomore Ted Gray finished tied for 11th place, both shooting two-under, 214. Van Sickle (one-over, 217) came back after a "nervous" first round to place 20th. Senior captain Nathan Colson (two-over, 218) finished his Marquette career finishing 24th.
Even though he would have loved to see this season and his collegiate career extended into the postseason, Murphy recognized just how far Marquette golf has come in the four years he has played.
"I remember going into first tournament my freshman year hoping to break 300 and being proud we did. To go from that to almost winning a major conference tournament is unbelievable," he said
Although Marquette golf will lose three key seniors — Weber, Colson, and Murphy — to graduation this year, there is still plenty of hope for success next season. Mike Van Sickle and Ted Gray return and will give the team a potent one-two punch next season.
"The graduating class has accomplished a hell of a lot," Murphy said, "but it's up to Mike and Ted. If they can find one more solid player, they can be a scary team."