LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Behind two golfers with two-round scores under par, and a one-under-par second round from the Redbird squad, Illinois State stands in a tie for eighth place at the 2021 Little Rock Invitational, within eight shots of third place in the level field.
Leading the way for the Redbirds was freshman Alex McCulla, who carded an even-par 72 in the opening round and followed that with a three-under-par 69 in the final round to stand tied for fifth with a round to play in the tournament. Reigning MVC Co-Golfer of the Week Joe Hodgson stands at one under par after 36 holes after rounds of 72 and 71, while Parker Wisdom shot a second-round 70, including a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th hole – to close the day at three shots over par. Both Valentin Peugnet and Felix van Dijk shot matching 75-77's on the opening day, to sit knotted at eight shots over par with a round to go in the tournament.
Host Little Rock leads the field in the team scores with a 12-under opening day for a 564. Troy (569), Lamar (573), UTEP (573), North Texas (578), Boise State (578), and ULM (580) all stand in front of the Redbirds, while Abilene Christian and Oral Roberts are tied with ISU with the 581. UT Arlington (584), Missouri State (587), Wichita State (593), and Central Arkansas (605) round out the 14 schools in the field.
The Redbirds return to the course tomorrow morning in an 8 a.m. shotgun start and will traverse the course with golfers from ULM and Abilene Christian.
McCulla – who opened his day on the par-three sixth hole, saw his aggregate score rise above par for exactly one hole of the 36 played on the opening day, and not once in the opening round as he had birdies on his second and fourth holes to stand at a stroke under par. He was even for his next 10 holes – which included one bogey and one birdie – before a birdie on the par-four second hole dropped him to three shots under par; however, he stumbled at the end of the round with three consecutive bogeys to close the opening round with an even-par 72. He opened his second round with back-to-back pars, before a bogey on the par-four eighth hole pushed him over par for the first time on the day. He quickly countered with a birdie on the next hole to push him back to even. After two pars, he hit a hot stretch in the round, and had four birdies in his next five holes to go to three shots under par. Over his last five holes he had two birdies, two bogeys, and a par, to close the round with a collegiate career-low 69.
Hodgson, who is tied for 13th individually, had a steady day that saw him never have his aggregate score over par, and never going lower than two strokes under par at any time. Opening play on the par-three fourth hole, he started with four consecutive pars before his first of six birdies on the day on the par-four eighth hole. Over his final 13 holes of the round, he had eight pars, two birdies, and three bogeys, never once sitting at +1 on the round. His back nine started with six consecutive pars before he got hot and had two birdies in a four-hole stretch, the last of which put him at two shots over par. Back-to-back bogeys followed to push him back to even par before he closed out his day with a birdie on his last hole to send him into the clubhouse with a one-under 71.
Wisdom had the most tumultuous day for the Redbirds, carding a seven-stroke difference between the first and second rounds, and his two totals have him tied for 42nd in the strong field. His opening 18 holes he had a birdie and a dozen pars, finishing with a five-over 77 on the first round. He came back with a vengeance, including carding three birdies over his first five holes, and was at two-under par heading into the par-three 11th hole where he sunk his tee shot for the hole-in-one. Two holes later another birdie dropped him to five shots under par; and he stayed at five under par until the final two holes, where he stumbled down the stretch with a double bogey and a bogey to sign a scorecard of two-under-par 70.
Both van Dijk and Peugnet – the latter of which is also one of three reigning MVC Co-Golfers of the Week – shot opening-round 75's, which puts the pair in a tie for 71st in the field. Peugnet carded his score with two birdies and 11 pars, while van Dijk had three birdies and 10 pars. The second round saw Peugnet convert one birdie and 13 pars, while van Dijk closed his day with four birdies and seven pars.
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