COLUMBIA, Mo. – Back-to-back under-par rounds has pushed Illinois State to a fourth place standing with one round to play at the 2021 Missouri Tiger Intercollegiate.
The Redbirds carded an opening-round 287 (-1), which was followed by a 285 (-3), as the pair of rounds are the two lowest for Illinois State this season. The team's two-round 572 trails only Kansas State (558), Missouri (560), and Wichita State (567), while is ahead of UMKC (579), North Alabama (579), SIU Edwardsville (582), Missouri State (588), Southern Miss (594), South Dakota State (596), Morehead State (596), South Dakota (600), Bowling Green (606), and Drake (611).
Through the opening day, ISU is led by David Perkins, who is eight strokes under par and in third place in the individual standings. Senior Dan Anfield is two strokes under par and tied for ninth place, while classmate Andrew O'Brien is even par and tied for 18th. Felix van Dijk and Joe Hodgson are +6 and +8, respectively, standing in a tie for 44th and 53rd, each.
"It feels great posting two under-par team rounds today," said Illinois State head coach Ray Kralis. "We were due! It was certainly a step in the right direction, and everyone looks to be in good form heading into tomorrow."
Three strokes off the individual lead, Perkins opened his day on the 15th hole, and ended the round two strokes under par with six birdies and nine pars. While his first round was strong his second round was even stronger with seven birdies, 10 pars, and just one bogey.
Anfield, also starting tomorrow's round in the top-10 in the field after starting his day with an even-par 72, including four birdies and 11 pars. His second round started strong, as he opened the afternoon with a birdie, eagle, and birdie over the first three holes, and ending his round with four birdies, an eagle, and 10 pars.
O'Brien was a stroke over par through five holes, before a stretch of four birdies, two pars and a bogey took his score from one shot over par to two strokes under par. In all he had four birdies and 11 pars over the first round, ending a stroke under par. The second round saw him record two bogeys over the first four holes of the second round, before he had an eight-hole stretch with three birdies and five pars to turn his two-over score to one under par, before closing with four pars and a pair of bogeys, ending the round a stroke over par and the day at even par.
van Dijk closed his day with rounds of 74 and 76, the first of which saw him record an eagle and two birdies, along with 10 pars, finishing two shots over par for the 18 holes. He followed that up with a round of three birdies, 10 pars, ending the afternoon round four shots over par with a 76.
Hodgson also had an eagle on the first round as an eagle, a birdie and 11 pars gave the senior a two-over opening-round score. He followed that up with a round of 15 pars, and three over-par scores, ending with a six-over 78.
Round three begins for the Redbirds on holes 6-10 along with UMKC and North Alabama in a shotgun start at 8 a.m.
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