BARTONVILLE, Ill. – Behind a tournament-leading opening two rounds from Avalon Woodward, and the team racing the darkness and facing the coolest weather thus far into the season, the Illinois State women's golf team stands in a tie for fourth place at the Coyote Creek Classic.
Woodwards' two-round 149 (77-72) is a stroke ahead of the remainder of the tournament filed, while Kira Wolf has carded a two-round 151 which gives her sole possession of third place.
Green Bay leads the tournament field with a two-round score of 617, while Butler (620) and Bradley (622) stand ahead of the Redbirds, while Western Illinois has matched ISU's two-round 626. Evansville (634), Northern Iowa (637), Dayton (645), and Idaho State (647) round out the nine schools in the field.
Woodward opened her day with a birdie on the first hole, one of three birdies for the junior on her front nine of the day. She carded birdies on her eighth and ninth holes to make the turn at one stroke over par and ended her first round with five consecutive pars to close the first 18 holes with a five-over 77. She came back in the second round with a bogey and birdie to start the second time around the course and followed with six pars in her final seven holes of the front nine, going one stroke over par at the turn. She opened the back nine with a bogey and from there closed her round with six pars and a pair of birdies to finish with an even-par 72 over her final 18 holes.
Wolf, playing as an individual, opened her day on the 18th hole and opened with a bogey before following two holes later with a birdie to push back to even par. After hitting an early-round tough stretch, she came back with nine consecutive pars, and ended her opening round with a six-over 78. Her back nine opened with two consecutive birdies – two of five total birdies on the round – and spread out those five birdies with nine pars to finish with the one-over 73.
The Schrock sisters, Ali and Dani Grace, are each tied for 21st in the field with 14-over 158's, Ali carding rounds of 77 and 81 and Dani Grace 82 and 76. Over her opening 18 holes Ali had 13 pars and five bogeys for her 77, before coming back with 11 pars in the second round for the 81. Dani Grace had two birdies on her opening 18 holes with 10 pars and came back with three more birdies and nine pars for her 76.
Vinisha Gunaseelan (82-79—161) and Emma Rouger (82-82 – 164) rounded out the Redbirds in the field over the first day, as the squad looks to climb the leaderboard tomorrow for the third and final round of competition.
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