Madison, Wis. – The 2019-20 Men's Golf season opens this weekend as the Redbirds compete in the Badger Invitational hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison Sept. 8-10.
Event: Badger Invitational
When: Sunday, Sept. 8 – Tuesday, Sept. 10
Where: University Ridge Golf Course
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,294
Live Scoring: BirdieFire
Participants: Host Wisconsin, Abilene Christian, Coastal Carolina, Iowa State, Illinois State, Kansas, Nevada, Miami, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Ole Miss, South Dakota State, UNCG, Xavier, Wofford
Redbird Lineup: David Perkins, Joel Durnford, Daniel Anfield, Joseph Hodgson, Parker Wisdom, Felix van Dijk
About the Course: It is the home of the University of Wisconsin Men's and Women's Golf Teams. The University Ridge gets its name from the landscape's features left by the last retreating glacier. Designers of the course followed the shaping of the land to create a natural setting. The course is part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, a program dedicated to protecting water quality, conserving natural resources, and providing habitats for wildlife.
History of the Event: This is the Redbirds' sixth consecutive appearance at the Badger Invitational. Last year, Illinois State were tournament champions above 11 other schools. The squad finished nine strokes under par (855) which was the 10th best in tournament history. The field that year contained NCAA teams Kansas and Iowa State, two teams who will be returning this year.
Quote from Coach Ray Kralis: "Coming off a great season last year and defending our title this weekend, it would be easy to get caught up in outcome thinking. But we need to keep our expectations in check and stay process-focused. This group is very talented and more than capable if we stay out of our own way."
Last Time Out: This is the first time the 2019-20 squad is competing together. To end the 2018-19 season, the Redbirds finished second at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and sent two individuals, Trent Wallace and David Rauer, to the NCAA Louisville Regionals.
Next Time Out: Illinois State returns to competition Sept. 15-17 at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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