CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah University senior Charlie Gillespie has earned Big Sky Conference Men's Golfer of the Week honors following an outstanding performance at the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate in Springfield, Mo.
The St. Andrews, Scotland, native tied for 10th individually with a four-under-par 209 (71-72-66), highlighted by a bogey-free, five-under-par 66 in Tuesday's final round at Twin Oaks Country Club.
Gillespie saved his best golf for the final round, recording five birdies and 13 pars while climbing 15 positions on the individual leaderboard. He birdied Nos. 3, 4, 6, 10 and 15 to produce Southern Utah's lowest individual round of the tournament.
His final-round 66 also marked the lowest round of his fall campaign, surpassing the three-under 68 he recorded at the SIUE Dolenc Invitational earlier this season.
The performance capped a strong finish to the fall for Gillespie, who previously tied for 17th at the Dolenc Invitational with a two-under-par 211 (70-68-73). He also opened the season with a tie for 29th at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, finishing at even-par 216.
Gillespie helped Southern Utah finish sixth in the team standings at Twin Oaks with an eight-over-par 860 (286-283-291).
"Charlie really earned this recognition with the way he competed, especially in that final round. Shooting a bogey-free 66 with five birdies shows the kind of player he can be when he's locked in and playing with confidence. What impressed me most was his ability to finish the tournament strong and move up the leaderboard. He's worked hard to put himself in this position, and I'm proud to see him recognized for it. Hopefully, this is something he can build on as we prepare for the spring season."
A Rich History of Big Sky Recognition
Gillespie joins a distinguished group of Southern Utah men's golfers who have received Big Sky Conference weekly honors, including two of the most decorated players in conference history.
Former Thunderbirds Jake Vincent and Fidel Concepcion each earned 10 career Big Sky Men's Golfer of the Week awards, sharing the conference's all-time record as documented in the 2022-23 Big Sky Golf Record Book.
Vincent collected his 10 awards between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons, including four during the 2019-20 campaign. The Palm Desert, Calif., native was also named Big Sky Men's Golf Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2021 and captured the 2019 Big Sky individual championship.
Concepcion earned his 10 weekly awards between 2014-15 and 2017-18. The Sydney, Australia, native collected four during the 2016-17 season and was a three-time All-Big Sky First Team selection.
Southern Utah's previous Big Sky Men's Golfer of the Week recipients include:
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Jake Vincent — 10 awards (2017-21)
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Fidel Concepcion — 10 awards (2014-18)
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Nic Booth — 2 awards (2014-15)
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Ali Hameed — 1 award (2017-18)
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Ethan Gray — 1 award (2019-20)
The five former Thunderbirds combined for 24 Big Sky Men's Golfer of the Week honors during Southern Utah's previous membership in the conference.
Gillespie's recognition continues that tradition of individual excellence for the Thunderbird men's golf program.
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