Indiana University (IU) golfer Drew Salyers appears poised for a monster senior campaign next year, based on his late-season form.
Salyers, a former standout golfer at East Knox High School who graduated in 2020, finished this season as the hottest Hoosier on their roster and one of the best golfers in the Big 10.
Salyers is a sports management major at IU and is from Howard, Ohio. He took center stage on the green, most notably in October at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational (QVCI) in Vero Beach, Florida, with a historic performance. The talented junior matched the 36-hole school record at IU with a score of 130 (65-65) at the tourney. Salyers became the second Hoosier to earn a 54-hole scorecard of under 200 (199) at the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational. The 16-team field showcased several well-regarded programs, including North Florida, Notre Dame, Northwestern, South Florida, Missouri, Cincinnati, Penn State, and Michigan State.
Salyers consolidated his success at the QVCI by winning a second-consecutive tournament title at the Williams Cup, hosted by the University of North Carolina, with a four-under-par score of 212 over 54 holes (72-70-70). He also fared well at the Fighting Irish Classic, carding a three-round score of five-under-par 205 (67-71-67) en route to a ninth-place finish.
Other season highlights included: top-20 finishes at the Purdue Fall Invitational (16th place; 74-75-72 final score of 221/+5), Windon Memorial Classic (18th place; 71-70-72 score of 213/-3), and the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational (20th place; 71-72-71 for a score of 214/-4).
Salyers was honored as the Big 10 Men's Golfer of the Week twice during his sophomore year, on Sept. 8 and Sept. 22. He competed in all 36 rounds across 12 tournaments with a career-best average of 73.44 strokes per 18 holes. He had a pair of top-10 finishes as a freshman and carded an average of 73.83, tied for the fourth-best average ever for an IU freshman.
Those who know Salyers best include his dad, Andy, and East Knox golf coach, Alan Keesee. They were not surprised by Drew's success at the collegiate level. In fact, they expected it after watching his development as an outstanding golfer at the preps level.
Salyers battled Wellington High School's Aidan Schumer as a high school senior at East Knox in 2019 on the second day/final round of the Ohio Division III state golf tournament hosted by Ohio State University. Trailing Schumer by one stroke on the 18th hole, Salyers hit a difficult chip shot that fell one foot short of the hole. This paved the way for Schumer's one-stroke victory. Schumer carded a score total of 148 strokes over 36 holes, while Salyers finished as the runner-up at 149.
Andy Salyers told the media his son will learn from the near-miss after Drew's 2019 state finals second-place showing.
"I wish for him and East Knox that it ended differently, but I always say that you don't lose if you learn," Andy Salyers said. "Drew will use this experience to fuel his fire even more in his next chapter of golf."
Drew Salyers was a two-time Central District Player of the Year, three-time KMAC Player of the Year, two-time OHSAA Individual State qualifier, and two-time All-State golfer at East Knox. He owns numerous scoring titles, including all scoring and win records at East Knox. He also guided the team to two straight conference championships and a 49-match winning streak.
An appreciative Keesee shared the following thoughts about his prized player: "He has been a blessing for East Knox, not just as a golfer but as a person. This isn't the end of Drew Salyers' golf career; it's the beginning of another round."
Indiana University coach Mike Mayer was certainly thrilled to land such a coveted recruit as Salyers, who was the 19th-ranked player in the country in the high school class of 2020.
"Drew absolutely exploded onto the junior golf scene in the spring and early summer of 2019," Mayer said in an interview with www.iuhoosiers.com. "Course records and numerous tournament wins became the norm from him in high school. His attitude and fearless approach to the game have served him exceedingly well not only at the collegiate level but will help him immensely at the professional level after graduation."
Although Salyers currently calls Bloomington, Indiana, home, the foundation for his game was established at East Knox High School.
"It meant a lot to him to play golf at EK and represent the Bulldogs at state," Andy Salyers said. "He loved all his teammates over the years, along with Coach Keesee."
