MOBILE, Ala. – The Illinois State men's golf team opens play for the 2021 season at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate, hosted by the University of South Alabama.
Event:Â Mobile Bay Intercollegiate
When:Â Sunday, February 14-Monday, February 15
Where:Â Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course | Mobile, Ala. (Hosted by University of South Alabama)
Par:Â 72
Yardage:Â 7,212Â
Live Scoring:Â Â Golfstat.com
Participants: UAB, Davidson, Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana, Louisville, Kansas State, Kent State, Lipscomb, Michigan, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Toledo, and Western Kentucky.
Redbird Lineup: Dave Perkins, Felix van Dijk, Dan Anfield, Joe Hodgson, Andrew O'Brien, Jack Paeglow (individual)
About the Course:Â Magnolia Grove is newly renovated for any golfers finding themselves in southern Alabama. The renovations have made the courses more "player friendly" while still keeping the feel of the original design.
History of the Event:Â This is the 13th consecutive appearance in Mobile, Ala. for the Redbirds. They have participated in this tournament since 2009. Illinois State's best outing was in 2010, when the team placed second out of 18 schools with a score of 878. To compare, the Redbirds highest score this season was 872, when the team were champions at the Little Rock Intercollegiate. Last season the Mobile Bay intercollegiate was Illinois State's final tournament before the season was shut down because of the pandemic.
Quote from Coach Ray Kralis: "We are excited to compete as a team again and look forward to mixing it up in a strong field out of the gate. It looks like the weather will be a major factor, but we have a veteran group that knows how to grind through adversity. We saw some a number of positives and established some early momentum at the Tinervin Cup, and the goal is to keep building."
Last Time Out:Â Â The last event for the Redbirds was last season at this event, held on February 10 and 11. ISU placed in a tie for ninth place with a one-over 865. David Perkins carded rounds of 69, 72, and 70 to tie for 15th place in the strong field, as Felix van Dijk placed 40th with a one-over 217 (73, 72, 72). Playing as an individual, Andrew O'Brien carded rounds of 76, 71, and 75, while Joe Hodgson shot rounds of 76, 74, and 77.
Next Time Out: The Redbirds head right back out to the course a week later at the Border Olympics, hosted by the University of Houston at the Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:Â Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
