BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Illinois State underclassmen Trent Wallace and Zach Burry finished in a five-way tie for medalist honors at the 2016 Hoosier Invitational at the IU Golf Course Sunday, which helped the Redbirds to a second-place team finish overall on the final day of competition.
FINAL RESULTS
Wallace and Burry each followed up first-round scores of even-par 71 with the same scores Sunday to finish in a five-way tie at the top of the individual leaderboard (142) with Peyton White of Ohio, Lyle Burns of Bradley, and Jake Brown of Indiana.
The Redbirds moved up three spots from fifth after round one and shaved 13 shots off their first-round score to finish in second place overall in the weather-shortened tournament with a two-round total of 585 (299-286). Western Illinois won the team title with a total of 578, seven shots ahead of the Redbirds. Indiana (588), Ohio (590) and Evansville (596) rounded out the top five.
"The plan was to build momentum as the season progressed, and the guys delivered today in strong fashion by separating themselves from the field in the final round and making a big move up the leader board," ISU head coach Ray Kralis said. "I thought it was a big-time round at this point in the season and a catalyst for us going forward. Trent and Zach continued their solid play and did something that is pretty special. 70 W - 0 L - 4 T is getting it done."
Wallace was consistent throughout his second and final round, carding 14 pars, two birdies and two bogeys. His first bogey of the day came on No. 2, but he answered with a birdie on No. 4 and finished par for the remainder of the front nine. He parred the first five holes of the back nine, before carding a three on the par-4 15th hole, before giving that stroke right back with a bogey on No. 16 to finish the day at even-par 71.
Burry posted three birdies and a bogey on the front nine to make the turn at two under, but bogeys on No. 12 and No. 14 brought him back to even as well and into a tie with his teammate atop the leaderboard. Michael Mounce bounced back from a first-round 76 to post and even-par round of 71 and tie his teammates in round two. His two-round total of 147 placed him in 15th place overall.
Tyler Gentilella struggled on day one with an 81, but rebounded on day two with a 2-over-par 73 to finish with a total score of 154. He was five shots ahead of Christian Crabill, who fired a 77 on day two thanks to an eagle on No. 9 and finished his tournament at 159.
The Redbirds return to action April 11-12 at the ORU Shootout in Tulsa, Oklahoma. That tournament will serves as the final tuneup for ISU as it heads into the MVC Championship, April 25-26, in Hutchinson, Kansas.
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