First Round Results | First Round Results (PDF)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Illinois State men's golf standout Trent Wallace fired a 4-under-par 68 (33-35) Monday at the NCAA West Lafayette Regional and is in a tie for second place after 18 holes at the par-72, 7,411-yard Kampen Course on the campus of Purdue.
The sophomore was fantastic all round, tallying six birdies. He started the day with three pars, before collecting his first birdie on the par-5 fourth. After making par on the next hole, Wallace birdied the par-5 sixth and the par-4 seventh to move to 3-under-par, which he would be at after the first nine holes after shooting a 3-under-par 33.
Wallace quickly moved to 4-under-par when he birdied the par-5 10th but gave the stroke back when he bogeyed the next hole. Wallace immediately traveled back to 4-under-par when he birdied the par-4 12th. He then peaked at 5-under-par when he birdied the par-4 14th.
Wallace went on the par the next three holes and was tied for first entering the 18th hole. However, he bogeyed and dropped to a second-place tie with Illinois' Edoardo Lipparelli. Wallace carded a 1-under-par 35 on the back nine.
"Trent played a great round of golf today and showed why he belongs here on this stage," head coach Ray Kralis said. "He put on a clinic through most of the round, and he made a couple great saves coming in on a very demanding stretch of finishing holes. He looked strong in all facets of the game and has put himself in a great spot going into tomorrow."
John Oda of UNLV, who is the No. 14- ranked player nationally, leads Wallace by one stroke. Overall, 75 student-athletes are competing, with 15 nationally ranked, and UNLV shot a 1-under-par 287 to pace the 13-team field. Wallace produced the lowest score out of the 10 individuals competing. Conditions were good, the weather was perfect, with temperatures in the low 80s, but the course played difficult for most of the competition.
Regional play continues Tuesday morning with the second round starting at 7:20 a.m. CT, before concluding Wednesday with the third and final round. Wallace is slated to start the second round in the final group, which will start on the 10th hole at 9:34 a.m. CT.
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