WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Illinois State used a third-round 283 (-1) and was the only team in the strong 15-team field to be under par for all three rounds of the tournament; however, fell victim to a strong run by tournament host Purdue, finishing runner-up at the event with a three-round 843, the fifth-lowest tournament score in program history.
Along with having the team finish as the runner-up, the Redbirds got a co-Medalist finish from senior Valentin Peugnet, whose three-round 204 is tied for the fourth-lowest individual tournament score in program history, and just one off his career-best mark set last September.
The runner-up finish was the third this season in four total events for the Redbirds, as ISU has finished behind Michigan at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, 44th-ranked Florida Gulf Coast at the Badger Invitational, and now tournament host and 40th-ranked Purdue at the Purdue Fall Invitational.
Purdue's 842 and Illinois State's 843 out-distanced 79th-ranked VCU (853), ninth-ranked Illinois (853), 87th-ranked Nebraska (855), Miami (857), 54th-ranked UNLV (857), day two co-leader Northern Illinois (861), Central Arkansas (863), 85th-ranked Ball State (864), Butler (873), Western Kentucky (880), Dayton (886), Eastern Michigan (887), and DePaul (903).
The Redbirds close out their fall season next weekend, as the team travels to Kettering, Ohio on Monday, October 16 and Tuesday, October 17 as the team will compete in the Dayton Invitational at the NCR South Country Club.
Leading the way for ISU in the final round was junior Alex McCulla who ended the tournament with a three-under 68, and his five-under aggregate score for the three rounds saw him finish fifth, his third top-five finish of the season in four tournaments played. Starting on the first hole, McCulla had an up-and-down start, as he went birdie-bogey-birdie over his first three holes, and after a par on his fourth he went bogey-birdie and remained under par to the turn.
Starting on the back nine, McCulla opened with a bogey, before coming back with back-to-back birdies before another bogey dropped him back to one stroke under par. He closed strong after a pair of pars and ended with two birdies in his final three holes to close the round with a three-under 68. His three-round 208 is tied for the 16th-lowest tournament score in program history and his second lowest of the season.
Peugnet, who opened his tournament with rounds of 67 and 66, started his day with a double-bogey on the par-four first hole, and was battling back from that for the entirety of the round. He followed with four consecutive pars before back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes dropped him back to even par, where he stood heading into the turn. He opened the back nine with a bogey, and after seven consecutive pars he closed the tournament with a birdie – his 14th of the three rounds – to finish with an even-par 71.
Parker Wisdom had three birdies and three over-par scores – in addition to a dozen pars – as he finished his tournament with a one-over 72, closing the 54 holes in a tie of 30th place overall. He went into the turn one shot under par as he had two birdies and a bogey over his first nine holes; however, had six pars, a birdie and two over-par scores over his final nine holes, closing play with a 217.
Redbird newcomer TJ Barger climbed eight spots in the individual standings over his final round, and started strong with three birdies and five pars over his first eight holes; however, he hit a seven-hole stretch in which he was four shots over par before ending his day with three consecutive pars, finishing with a three-round 218 after a final-round 72 – one shot over par.
ISU's final golfer – Will Troy – ended his tournament with a four-over 75, a round that saw him record three birdies, nine pars, and six over-par scores. He started strong and was one shot under par through his first 11 holes; however, he hit a rough stretch of the course pushed him to five strokes over par; however, he regained his momentum and closed with a birdie and a par, ending the day four strokes over par, and with a three-round 222, good for a tie of 54th place overall in the tournament.
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