PALM COAST, Fla. – Fighting Illini men's golf closed play at the Big Ten Match Play Championship on Saturday, starting the final day of play with a 5-1 victory over Northwestern. The Illini advanced to face Indiana, but fell to the Hoosiers 3.5-2.5, earning a sixth-place overall finish at the tournament.

Purdue and Michigan State earned the Big Ten Match Play Championship title as the two split the final match, 3-3.

Match 3: Illinois 5, Northwestern 1

A morning fog delay shortened the morning matches to nine holes on Saturday, as Illinois defeated Northwestern 5-1. Senior Dylan Meyer put Illinois' first point on the board with a 2-up victory over NU's Ryan Lumsden. It was a close race that came down to the final holes. Lumsden took the lead on the seventh hole, but Meyer responded by winning the next three holes for the final advantage.

Sophomore Michael Feagles also added a point for the Illini as he earned a 1-up victory over Everton Hawkings. Feagles went 1-up in his match early on, but Hawkins wouldn't go away. Feagles took back his lead on the fifth hole, but Hawkins squared it up again before the end of the match. Feagles earned the final victory, with a birdie on ninth hole.  

Sophomore Giovanni Tadiotto earned a 2 and 1 win over Sam Triplett, taking the first three holes of the match and never looking back. Sophomore Bryan Baumgarten also contributed a point for Illinois on the day. Baumgarten's match came down to the wire, but he earned a late 1-up win over NU's Luke Miller.  Both Nick Hardy and Brendan O'Reilly's matches were halved.

Match 4: Illinois 2.5, Indiana 3.5

The Illini took on Indiana in the final match of the event, battling to the final holes of the day.  Illinois claimed two points from Meyer and O'Reilly. Meyer earned his fourth individual victory of the tournament, while the win marked the first for O'Reilly.

Meyer went 1-up on his first hole of the day, but Indiana's Brock Ochsenreiter squared it up on the next hole. Meyer pushed back to win the next three holes, and he maintained the advantage for a 3 and 1 win. O'Reilly topped Trevor Ranton, 2 and 1, also taking three consecutive holes early in the match for the lead. Ranton squared the match on the back nine, but O'Reilly pushed back to earn the point for Illinois.  

Hardy halved his match against Indiana's Jake Brown, while Feagles battled Indiana's Brendon Doyle and made a run to pull into a late lead on the 13^th hole. Doyle pressured back, however, and came away with a 2 and 1 win. Indiana earned 1-up victories over Baumgarten and Tadiotto.

The Course

The 14 Big Ten institutions are competing at Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Florida, this weekend. Hammock Beach Resort features two courses, the Ocean Course (Par 72, 7,201 yards) and the Conservatory Course (Par 72, 7,776 yards).

Next Up

Illinois will head to the Louisiana Classics Feb. 26-27 at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, Louisiana.