Live Scoring | MVC Release
NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's golf team will look to perform better than its projected fifth-place finish in the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship at the par-72, 6,214-yard Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
The 54-hole event starts Easter Sunday, April 16, and concludes Tuesday, April 18. Three-time defending champion Wichita State is favored to win the title according to a pre-championship poll of league coaches. In addition to Wichita State, Bradley and Southern Illinois (both received first-place votes in the poll) figure to be among the leading contenders at this year's championship. The champion will advance to the NCAA Regionals.
The first two rounds begin each day at 10 a.m., with tee times starting off of holes one and 10. Tuesday's final round will start at 9 a.m., with tee times starting off of holes one and 10 as well.
The Redbirds are slated to go with a lineup of junior Kiley Walsh, sophomore Caitlin Sims, freshman Paige Seiser and seniors Maggie Ambrose and Renee Solberg.
"This is the most exciting part of every season," head coach Darby Sligh said. "All of our hard work leads up to this very moment. We will have to leave every single thing we have on the table to pull out a victory. I'm looking at our seniors to really be our anchor and take pressure off the others to go low. If we can do this consistently, we will have the opportunity to do something special. We are blessed with eight amazing women on this squad that have pushed each other day in and day out. Now it's time to show everyone what we are made of."
Last Time Out
Illinois State produced its lowest score in the final round of Indiana's IU Invitational at the par-72, 5,884-yard IU Golf Course last Sunday. The Redbirds shot a 306 to finish in fifth place in the 10-team field with a three-round total of 930 (314-310-306). Walsh finished in a tie for 17th place with a 229 (78-75-76). She shot a 4-over 76 (38-38) in the final round, which included a pair of consecutive birdies on the back nine. Ambrose ended the tournament with a 234 (78-77-79) and shot a 79 (39-40) Sunday.
Seiser shot a 236 (79-76-81), but her 81 (39-42) did not count towards the team's score in the final round. Sims produced her lowest score in the final round, shooting a 77 (39-38) to end the event with a 239 (79-83-77).
Junior Abby Luchtenburg carded a team-low 2-over-par 74 (38-36), which was her lowest score of the tournament. She converted one birdie over the front nine, before tallying three more on the back to finish with an even-par 36. Luchtenburg finished with a three-round score of 241 (85-82-74). Solberg, who was playing as an individual, shot a 79 in the final round to finish with a 236 (80-77-79).
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