The Gophers finished last in what is likely their last tournament of the season.

Minnesota finished 14th at the Big Ten championships this weekend. The Gophers shot a combined 56-over par. The two seniors, Rúnar Arnórsson and Riley Johnson, had the two best finishes for Minnesota. 

Illinois took home the championship by shooting four-under in the tournament at the Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Maryland, a club that played host to the conference championship for the second year in a row. 

“Obviously, wasn’t the finish we wanted, but I am proud of [Johnson] and [Arnórsson] and the way they finished,” head coach Justin Smith said. “They are leaving the program better than when they [found] it.”

The Gophers entered the final day in 12th place and couldn’t create any momentum. Minnesota shot a total of 305, 25-over par on Sunday, which was its worst round of the tournament. Arnórsson finished tied for 47th with a score of 14-over par. Johnson finished tied for 51st, 15-over par. 

Thomas Longbella, Angus Flanagan and Evan Long also competed. Longbella finished the best of the three, tied for 59th.

Minnesota shot its best round of the tournament on the second day, where the team shot 292. Arnórsson shot a 68 on the second day for the team’s best single round in the tournament. 

The Gophers finished day one in 12th place after they shot 299 in the second round, 19-over par. 

“We just caught some really bad breaks and we were never really able to create enough momentum to get anything going,” Smith said. “I hope our young guys look at the kind of leaders [Johnson] and [Arnórsson] are, and if they can do that, we will be in good shape down the road.”