LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – The Illinois State women's golf team wasted no time and showed no signs of rust from an 11-month COVD-related layoff, as the team carded rounds of 299 (+11) and 286 (-2) in the opening day of the Mid-American Challenge, hosted by Bowling Green.
The 286 was the first time that a Redbird squad has been under par since the team carded a one-under 287 at the final round of The Shootout at the Legends in Franklin, Indiana on October 11, 2005.
"I'm really proud of the effort and focus from the group today," said Illinois State head coach Breanne Hall. "Our course management was really good today and we were able to make a few adjustments from rounds one to two. It is great to be back out competing, and I am very happy with the team's execution today."
The teams will head back to the course tomorrow for the third and final round of the tournament, played at the par-72, 6,068-yard Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.
Freshman Avalon Woodward is the team's individual leader, as she ends the opening 36 holes with an even-par 144, which is tied for seventh in the field. Emma Rouger and Emma Sutton are tied for 11th in the field and are just two strokes behind Woodward with a two-over 146. Ali Schrock is in a tie for 21st place in the field with a five-over 149. Becca Black – also in the team's scoring five – is tied for 28th with a seven-over 151. Competing as individuals, Paige Seiser and Maria Toledo Bailey are tied for 40th in the field with a 155, as Jasmine Yi is tied for 50th with a 157 and Tatum King tied for 53rd with a 159.
Starting on the course's back nine, Woodward struggled to start with a bogey on the 13th and a double bogey on the 15th, but righted the course and picked up momentum for the second round by going one under par for the final 12 holes including 11 pars and a birdie. She was not over par at any point of the second round, as she started with a birdie on the 10th hole, while also picking up birdies on the 18th and second hole on the course, ending the round with a two-under 70 for the round.
Like Woodward, Rouger struggled to start her opening round of the season with bogeys on the 10th and 12th holes, and a triple bogey on the 15th. She quickly rebounded with a trio of pars before birdying the first, sixth, and ninth holes on the course to end the opening round with a three-over 75. At even par for just three total holes in the second round she picked up birdies on the 10th and 12th holes to start the second round. She added birdies on the second and eighth holes to head into the clubhouse with a one-under 71.
Sutton put together consistent rounds of 74 and 72. She opened her tournament with pars on her first three holes before adding bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes. She was even par through the final 12 holes of the round including 10 pars and a birdie on the par-five sixth hole. In the afternoon round she had a birdie on the 12th hole – her third hole of the round – and also birdied the first and seventh holes to drop her score to two under par, before stumbling down the stretch with bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes to end the round with an even-par 72.
Sophomore Schrock, had two birdies over the opening 18 holes, ending the first round with a four-over 76. She followed with 15 consecutive pars to open her second round, sitting at even par before sandwiching a birdie between two bogeys over the final three holes, ending the round with a one-over 73.
Black, the only senior in ISU's scoring five, opened the tournament with five straight pars and had a dozen total pars in the opening round, ending the first 18 holes with a six-over 78. Over the final round she stubbed her toe on the second hole with a bogey; however, responded with six straight pars before picking up her first birdie of the season on the par-five 18th hole. Another birdie on the par-five fifth hole dropped her score to one under par. Two pars and two bogeys over the final four holes sent her into the clubhouse with a one-over 73 to close the day.
Playing as an individual, Seiser had a birdie on the opening round en route to a six-over 78, before having an up-and-down second round with four birdies and seven pars leading her to a five-over 77. In her first tournament as a Redbird, transfer Maria Toledo Bailey opened her tournament with pars over the first five holes and went into the back nine of the course at one stroke over par with a birdie and two bogeys. The back nine saw Toledo Bailey with a birdie and three pars, heading into the clubhouse with a five-over 77. In the second round she went into the turn with a birdie on the 18th hole and closed the final nine holes two strokes over par with a birdie and five pars.
Yi carded an opening-round 77 including a birdie on her 18th hole (and the ninth hole on the course) to drop her opening round score of a five-over 77. She added another birdie in the second round to go along with eight pars to close out an eight-over 80 for the day.
King struggled at the beginning of the round over the first four holes but closed the final 14 holes at just four-over par and ended the opening 18 holes with an 81. She rebounded with a trio of birdie and nine pars in the second round, as she put together a six-over 78 for the second round.
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