NORMAL, Ill. -- Freshman Drake Bushong (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) fired a one-under par 70 to finish second in the individual standings, while the Bradley men's golf team was fifth overall at the season-opening D.A. Weibring Intercollegiate Monday.
The Braves started the day fourth and shot a 303 to slip into fifth in the final team standings at 893. Bradley was just two shots out of the top three, however. Bushong led the way for the Braves with his one-under 70 in Monday's final round at the par-71 Weibring Golf Course. He was second overall at 214, three shots back of individual medalist Trent Wallace of Illinois State, who shot a 211.
Senior Garrett Cox (Mahomet, Ill./Seymour) picked up where he left off in 2014-15, turning in the lowest 54-hole score of his career. After shooting a career-best 225 at last spring's Missouri Valley Conference Championship, Cox was two shots better in his first outing of the fall with a 223. Cox wrapped up play with a 72 and tied for 17th overall for his third consecutive top-20 finish.
Fellow senior Lyle Burns (Mahomet, Ill./Seymour/Parkland) had a final-round 82 and tied for 48th at 229, while junior Zach Jewell (Mapleton, Ill./Limestone/Illinois Central) was one shot behind Burns in a tie for 52nd at 230. Jewell carded a 79 in the final round.
Sophomore Matthew Specht (Munster, Ind./Munster) completed the team scoring for the Braves, turning in a third-round 83 as he tied for 68th (234).
Tournament-host Illinois State won the team title by 16 shots with a 54-hole total of 862. Central Arkansas was second at 878 and Western Illinois followed in third (891). The Leathernecks edged Missouri State, which was one shot back in fourth at 892. Bradley rounded out the top five at 893 and the Braves were six shots better than Oakland and Nebraska, which tied for sixth at 899. Southern Illinois took eighth (900), while Detroit (9th - 903) and IPFW (10th - 904) rounded out the top 10 in the 18-team field.
Bradley returns to action Sept. 28 & 29 at the Derek Dolenc Invitational in Edwardsville, Ill.
