GULF SHORES, Ala. – Illinois State sophomore Felix van Dijk carded a three-under 69, while David Perkins kept his grasp on the top individual place at the Craft Farms Intercollegiate.
"Those were big rounds from Felix and Perk today to keep us within striking distance," said Illinois State head coach Ray Kralis. "With a strong team effort tomorrow, we can make a move, and that is the plan."
Played at the 7,127-yard par-72 Craft Farms GC – Cotton Creek, the Redbirds stand along in fifth place, one spot up from the team's standing a day earlier after the team's second round 294. The team's two-round score of 586 is fifth best in the field, trailing just Cincinnati (576), Louisiana (580), Lipscomb (581), and South Alabama (581). Western Kentucky (588), Eastern Michigan (589), Ball State (590), Southern Illinois (594), Lamar (598), Texas State (599), Seton Hall (601), and Eastern Kentucky (610) round out the 13 teams in the field.
van Dijk opened his day strong with a par, birdie, and birdie, and was never above par for the entire 18 holes. A bogey on the par-three eighth hole was answered with his third birdie of the front nine, making the turn at two shots under par. A birdie on the 10th to kick off his back nine dropped him to three shots under par, before a bogey on the par-four 14th hole raised his score to two shots under par. After two more pars, he birdied the par-five 17th hole, and a par on the 18th hole sent him into the clubhouse with a team-best 69 on the round. His two-round total of 145 has him in a tie for 12th place in the field.
Perkins recorded a par on the first hole, before a bogey on the second hole – his only bogey on the round – put him above par for the first time in the round. The above-par score didn't last long, as he answered with a birdie on the par-five third hole, before closing his front nine with six consecutive pars. A birdie on the 10th hole dropped his score to one stroke under par, and after five pars he recorded his third and final birdie of the round, as two pars closed the door on his two-under round of 72.
Playing as an individual in his opening tournament of his college career, freshman Will Troy kicked off his second collegiate round with back-to-back pars, and then had a three-hole stretch with a birdie, a bogey, and a double bogey. Following another par, he again had an up-and-down stretch over his next three holes with a birdie and back-to-back bogeys, as he made the turn at three shots over par. He opened his back nine with a birdie on the par-five 10th hole, and then recorded three consecutive pars. He came back with a roller coaster five-hole stretch with a bogey, double bogey, birdie, and two straight bogies to finish with a six-over 78 on the day.
Andrew O'Brien opened his day with a par and a bogey, and had a total of seven pars on the front nine to make the turn at three shots over par. A par and a birdie opened the back nine, as he kept his two-over score with five consecutive pars before ending the day with a double-bogey and bogey to go into the clubhouse with a five-over 77, and is tied for 47th in the field.
Joe Hodgson is also tied for 47th in the tournament over the two rounds, after his six-over 78 in the second round. He struggled out of the gate on the day with bogeys in two of his first three holes, and a triple bogey on the seventh hole pushed him to five shots over par. He got hot just before and after the turn with a birdie on the eighth, par on the ninth, and another birdie on the 10th, and he had pars on five of his last eight holes of the day en route to his 78.
Senior Dan Anfield carded his second consecutive 79 in the tournament, as he had a birdie and 11 pars on the day, and is tied for 65th in the field with 18 holes to play in the tournament.
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