NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's golf team released its schedule for the 2017-18 season, head coach Ray Kralis announced Thursday.
"I am really excited about the upcoming schedule, which includes a mix of old and new," Kralis said. "Both the fall and spring segments are loaded with championship venues and strong competition."
The Redbirds will compete in 12 tournaments and one exhibition match. Illinois State is slated to play in six tournaments in the fall, which takes place in September and October, before participating in six more tournaments in the spring, which starts in February. Ten of the 12 tournaments will be 54-hole events, with the other two concluding after 36 holes.
The season begins Sept. 10-12 in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Badger Invitational. Six days later, the Redbirds travel west to Fort Collins, Colorado, to compete in Colorado State's Ram Masters Invitational, Sept. 18-19. The competition for the month ends less than a week later with a local trip to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois, the site of the 2017 Division I Championship, as Illinois State will play in Northern Illinois' Northern Intercollegiate, Sept. 24-25.
October starts with Akron's Firestone Invitational, Oct. 2-3, in Akron, Ohio, followed by another trip to the Buckeye State two weeks later for Dayton's Flyer Invitational, a 36-hole tournament, Oct. 16-17, in Kettering Ohio. The fall season ends a week later at the Little Rock Intercollegiate, Oct. 23-24, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
"Adding Rich Harvest Farms, the site of last year's NCAA Championship, and NCR South (Dayton) - consistently ranked among the top-100 classic courses - to a strong fall lineup, which includes Firestone (Akron), should provide additional motivation for the guys because you don't want to miss these events," Kralis said.
The annual Tinervin Cup with Illinois unofficially tees off the spring portion of the schedule, as the two schools will play an exhibition match with alumni, Jan. 27, at Coral Creek Club in Placida, Florida.
Spring officially begins for the Redbirds, Feb. 12-13, at South Alabama's Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate in Mobile, Alabama. Illinois State then heads back down to the southeast 11 days later for Florida State's Seminole Intercollegiate in Tallahassee, Florida, Feb. 24-25.
Over spring break, the Redbirds are slated to play in Oral Roberts' Bob Sitton Invitational, March 12-14, in Dallas, Texas, before the return of the D.A. Weibring Intercollegiate, April 1-2, at Weibring Golf Club. The Redbirds' only home event will be the second and final 36-hole tournament of the year.
One week later, Illinois State will use its final tune up before the Missouri Valley Conference Championship when it travels to Columbia, Missouri, for Missouri's Tiger Invitational, April 9-10.
The Redbirds will head back to the Show Me State for the MVC Championship, which is scheduled to be played at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, April 23-24, with Southern Illinois as the host.
"When we get to the spring, it is invaluable to have three trips on the calendar before our spring break," Kralis said. "While we have great indoor facilities, the additional competitive reps are critical in keeping us on pace with southern schools, and we'll have to be ready to go with South Alabama, Florida State and TPC Las Colinas (Oral Roberts) on our plate coming out of the gate. That stretch will definitely have us prepared for a strong run leading into the conference championship."
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