CARBONDALE -- The Southern Illinois Saluki men's golf program will hold its annual fundraiser on Friday, August 4 at Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion. The 18-hole course, designed by Steve Smyers, was named Golf Week Magazine's "America's Best Places You Can Play."

"This fundraiser has been vital for our student-athletes," said Saluki Athletics Director of Golf Justin Fetcho. "We've been able to afford our players an opportunity to travel to some of the best events at some of the nicest places in all of the country. We have been able to make sure they have all of the equipment and technology we need to make sure they are playing their best. We have been able to operate as a first-class program."

With a new format featuring both morning and afternoon sessions, participants can look forward to a day filled with friendly competition while supporting the Salukis. The morning session will tee off with a shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. CT. Lunch will be served at noon. The afternoon session tees off at 1:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend. 

» Register Online

The annual event has become a tradition that not only brings together Saluki alumni but also plays a vital role in supporting the SIU men's golf program.

"The men's program has won 3 MVC Championships since 2016 and the women also won in 2019.  Winning championships is bigger than one person," added Fetcho. "Winning championships requires an army and Saluki Nation has been a HUGE army! We want to make sure we continue to give our student-athletes every opportunity to not only enjoy their experience here, but have the opportunity to put rings on their fingers."

While the afternoon session is currently at full capacity, there are still available slots for teams to participate in the morning session. The price is $150 for an individual or $900 for a six-person team. 

In addition to team registrations, the Saluki Golf Annual Fundraiser offers various sponsorship opportunities to organizations and businesses that wish to support Saluki Athletics. Sponsorship opportunities are available including hole sponsors, banner sponsors, or corporate sponsors. To learn more and sign up, view the 2023 Golf Scramble Brochure. 

"We have appreciated the support in the past and this year is no different," said Fetcho. "We would love to see you on Friday, August 4 playing in the event. If you can't play that day, we still have several ways for you to support us. We have many different sponsorship levels where you can still make a direct impact on our student-athletes. We don't get to sell season tickets or have opportunities where fans can come out and watch us play several home events throughout the year, so this is our one chance for you to impact our program and have the opportunity to interact with us in a very fun setting. Thank you very much for your consideration in supporting our student-athletes and I hope to see you on Friday, August 4th."

For more information and to register for the Saluki Golf Annual Fundraiser, please visit siuf.org/events/mens-golf.php. 

Special thanks to our title sponsors Dalhousie Golf Club and Legence Bank for their continued support of Saluki Golf.