Eureka, Mo. - The Maryville men's golf team won the 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship with a 3-1/2 to 1-1/2 decision over top-seed Indianapolis in medal/match play Wednesday at Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Mo. The Saints, who were the second seed, have won back-to-back league titles, pairing the 2021 championship with the last one contested in 2019. The 2020 tournament was not played due to the CoVID-19 pandemic.
 
Keenan Flemming went out in the first match and was down by three shots heading to the 16th hole. He gained one shot on that hole, then hit his approach to two feet on 17 and rolled in the birdie putt to trim his deficit to one stroke. On the 18th hole, he striped his drive and hit his approach shot to the left fringe. Flemming took advantage of an errant bunker shot by his opponent and earned a valuable half point to set the tone for the next three matches.
 
Austin Fauser was tied after the eighth but holed a bunker shot on No. 9 to take a lead he would not surrender. He added a stroke to his lead on 11 and doubled it to four shots by the 13th hole. Fauser eased home to put the Saints up 1-1/2 to 1/2 after two matches.
 
In the third match of the day, Jake Newman recorded a huge comeback on the inward nine to rally for a two-stroke victory. He was down by five shots after the 12th hole but quickly made up three strokes on 13 with a par while his opponent made a seven. Newman chopped the deficit to just one by the 14th hole. He pulled into a tie with a birdie on 17 setting up a dramatic final hole. Newman hit his approach to the edge of the 18th green and his UIndy foe fanned his second shot into the penalty area. Newman chipped to within four feet and made the par putt while his opponent was unable to hole his fourth shot as he won by two strokes.
 
Alex Locke was tied after the fifth hole but gained one shot on each of the next five holes to go five up after 10 holes. He was still leading by five shots after the 14th hole and kept a comfortable margin to win by two shots. Locke's match eventually turned out to be the tournament-clinching point for the Saints.
 
In the anchor match, Will Holan fell behind by three shots after the third but he fought back to forge a tie by the 11th. However, he dropped two shots on the 14th hole and was unable to draw level the rest of the match.
 
The Saints will tote the GLVC title to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament which runs May 6-8 at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Kansas City, Mo.