On Sept. 5 and 6, the Big Blue men’s golf team began their 2015-2016 season in the Battle for Route 51 against Illinois Wesleyan. In Decatur, Ill., the tournament was held at the Southside Country Club on the first day, and then the next day in Bloomington, Ill. the tournament was held at the Crestwicke Country Club.

The event was won by Illinois Wesleyan with 584, who played against our Big Blue who ended three shots behind them with a score of 602. Blaine Buente, a junior from Millikin University, ended for first with a score of 146 with Matt Galvan and a Titans Evan Dill. A freshman from the Big Blue, Michael Barber, ended in sixth with a score of 149 with Alex Koulos, a Millikin senior, tying for 10 place with an ending score of 154. The rest of the Battle for Route 51 results for Millikin are as follows:

Millikin                      290      312      602       +30   2nd

Buente, Blaine           72        74        146       +3     t-1st

Barber, Michael          72        77        149       +6     6th

Koulos, Alex 75        79        154       +11   t-10th

Murphy, Avery          71        83        154       +11   t-10th

Forrest, Ryan 77        82        159       +16   t-15th

Millikin 2                   316      320      636       +64   4th

Francis, Ethan            76        81        157       +14   14th

Davis, Blake               81        78        159       +16   t-15th

Hill, Lee                     81        80        161       +18   t-18th

Weisheit, Andrew      78        83        161       +18   t-18th

Lee, Chris                   81        81        162       +19   20th