CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois men's golf head coach Mike Small announced Wednesday (June 1) the addition of graduate transfer Matthis Besard to the Fighting Illini program.
Besard comes to Illinois from Southern Illinois University where he was a three-time all-conference performer in a record-setting career for the Salukis while completing his undergraduate degree business management with a minor in economics. He joins fall signee Ryan Voois as the newest additions to the Illini's incoming recruiting class for the 2022-23 season.
MATTHIS BESARD | OUDENAARDE, BELGIUM | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
BESARD'S HIGHLIGHTS: Besard, in addition to three All-Missouri Valley Conference nods, was selected as the 2018 MVC Newcomer of the Year, and most recently took home top honors as the 2022 MVC Player of the Year to cap his Salukis career. He was also named to the 2022 PING All-Midwest Region team by the GCAA, joining new Illini teammates Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Tommy Kuhl, and Piercen Hunt. Besard led the Salukis program to the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Columbus Regional. Overall he captured a program-record seven individual titles during his career at SIU, including four tournament wins during the 2021-22 season at the Zach Johnson Invitational, The Grover Page Classic, The Savannah Intercollegiate, and the Desert Mountain Collegiate. Those victories all came during a run in which Besard finished worse than third (eighth) just one time in a nine-tournament stretch. In 36 rounds in 2022, he posted an average of 70.50, and factored into the Salukis' team score in 34 rounds or 94 percent. Besard also leaves SIU as the all-time leader in career rounds in the 60s, and holds the program's all-time low 54-hole score of 200 (-16).
QUOTING BESARD: "I chose Illinois because I felt all-around that it was the school that fit the best for me. The Illinois golf program has been one of the best in the country for more than a decade now. It competes against the best schools week in and week out, and it has proven to prepare players for a professional career after college which is my ultimate goal. Additionally, Coach Small is one of the best, if not the best, coaches out there and I believe being able to learn of him for a whole year will take my game to the next level. And finally, I'm transferring from Southern Illinois, and I'm leaving that place with nothing but great memories so I know the community and wanted to stay in the region."
SMALL'S TAKE: "We're excited about Matthis choosing to finish his collegiate eligibility at the University of Illinois and pursue his master's degree from the Gies College of Business. He has proven himself to be one of the top players in college golf this past year, and his game continues to mature nicely. He's a winner, and the combination of his physical talent, his competitiveness and his eagerness to be the best that he can be, make him a perfect Illini fit."
