LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Using a one-under final round from Valentin Peugnet, the Illinois State men's golf team closed play for the 2021 fall season at the Little Rock Invitational on Tuesday afternoon.
Peugnet shot a one-under 71 to close play with a seven-over final aggregate score to place in a tie for 50th. Joe Hodgson and Alex McCulla each tied for 23rd individually by going three shots over par for the tournament while Parker Wisdom's eight-over 224 put her in a tie for 52nd, while Felix van Dijk's 11-over 227 had him place in a tie for 64th.
Host Little Rock ran away with the team title with an 18-under 846, 17 strokes better than second place Lamar, who shot an 863. ULM (866), Boise State (867), Troy (870), Abilene Christian (873), North Texas (875), UT Arlington (877), and Oral Roberts (879) all finished just ahead of ISU's 880. UTEP was knotted with the Redbirds with an 880, while Wichita State (884), Missouri State (886), and Central Arkansas (926) finished behind.
Through the first seven holes Peugnet was two shots over par until an eagle on the par-five 16th hole, pushing him back to even par. A bogey three holes later put him back over par; however, back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes sent him into the clubhouse with a one-under 71, his fifth round in the fall at or below par over 15 total rounds.
van Dijk carded the team's second-lowest score on the day with a three-over-par 75, aided by an eagle on the par-five 16th hole, his lone under-par round score of the day, as he also added 13 pars for the round.
Hodgson had two birdies and 10 pars in his round, where he finished with a four-over 76. Wisdom finished one shot behind Hodgson with a five-over 77, including two birdies and nine pars with McCulla carding a final-round 78 (+6) with three birdies and seven pars as the team's fifth golfer.
The Redbirds return to action in the spring, competing in the February 5 Tinervin Cup exhibition against Illinois. The first tournament for ISU in the spring is the Border Olympics, hosted by Houston on February 14 and 15 at the Laredo Country Club.
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