Oct. 12, 2011
Pieters Interview | Coach Small Recaps Fall Season | 2011 Fall Golf Season Stats 
PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Sophomore Thomas Pieters was named co-Big Ten Golfer of the Week along with Indiana's Chase Wright following his first career tournament title at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational, announced Wednesday by the conference office. The Nijlen, Belgium, native posted a career-best 54-hole score of 209 (-7) to win the event by two strokes, as he led the No. 16 Illini to a third-place showing in the 12-team field.
Pieters equaled his career-low 18-hole score with an opening round 66 (-6) and followed it up with a one-under 71 before finishing with a final round even-par 72. He earned the first weekly conference honor of his career, giving an Illini the Big Ten accolade for the third time in four fall tournaments. Mason Jacobs won the award on Sept. 21 following Olympia Fields while Luke Guthrie picked up the honor on Oct. 5 following the D.A. Weibring Invitational.
Illinois completed its fall schedule and will be back in tournament action next year beginning with the Tinervin Cup in Coral Springs, Fla., on Jan. 28, 2012.
