KETTERING, Ohio – Behind a tournament-best three-under par 210 in the three rounds for junior Joel Durnford, the Illinois State Redbirds tied for second place overall in the 12-team Dayton Flyer Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.
Durnford's medalist honors was the program's first since Trent Wallace earned the top individual finish at the 2017 Little Rock Invitational on October 23 and 24 last year. For the Redbirds, it was their third top-two finish of the season in four total events, including a team victory at the Badger Invitational to start the 2018-19 season.
"We got the start we needed, and it was then ours to win or lose," said ISU head coach Ray Kralis. "I like our chances in that situation, but obviously we let it get away, which has some sting to it. We have more depth than we displayed again this week, so we need to shore that up to accomplish what we are capable of."
Durnford, who opened play on the ninth hole, started his third round in a big way with a birdie and then an eagle on the par-five 10th. The 2018 NJCAA Individual National Champion then followed with 11 pars over the next 13 holes, with the only outliers coming by bogies on the 12th and 15th holes. He closed his round with a birdie on the sixth, bogey on the seventh, and par on the eighth to secure the individual medalist honor. Durnford did his heavy lifting for the tournament on the par-5's, as he was six shots under par on the longer holes, which tied for the lowest score in the field.
"Joel was big-time for us this week," said Kralis. "He hit a number of clutch shots and picked up the win. That is always a big boost for confidence and should be a nice springboard for him going forward."
For the final round, Wallace, Dave Perkins, and David Rauer each carded matching 73's (+2) on the 7,019-yard, par-71 NCR South course.
Like Durnford, Wallace opened his round with a birdie on the par-three eighth hole, but followed with nine pars and four bogeys over his next 13 holes to stand at three strokes over par. A hot finish that included two birdies, a par and a bogey settled the senior at a 73 overall, and a 216 (+3) over the three rounds, which tied him for 10th place out of 74 golfers in the tournament.
Perkins tied for 15th in the field with a 217 (+4), including finishing two strokes over par over the final 18 holes. Perkins also started strong and had four total birdies in the round to go with nine pars, and five bogeys. Wallace and Perkins were two of just 11 golfers in the field to play even par or better on the course's par three's in the tournament, each at even par on the short holes.
After carding back-to-back 76's (+5) over the first two days, Rauer rebounded with a 73 (+2) to tie for 45th in the tournament. Andrew O'Brien closed out his tournament with a six-over-par 77 over the final 18 holes, which put him with a 227 over the tournament and tied for 51st.
Playing as an individual, Dan Anfield was also two strokes over par for the final round, and he tied for 30th in the field with a 222 (+9).
The Redbirds close the 2018 fall season next weekend, as the squad travels to Little Rock, Arkansas, to compete in the Little Rock Invitational on Monday, Oct. 22 and Tuesday, Oct. 23 at the Chenal Country Club.
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