WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Using a pair of strong rounds from Valentin Peugnet, the Illinois State men's golf team is tied for the top spot at the Purdue Fall Invitational, while Peugnet is also in first place, two strokes ahead of second place in the field.
Peugnet's two rounds have him with the 15th (second round) and 34th (first round) lowest single rounds in program history. Each of Illinois State's five golfers in the field had a round in which they shot even par or better.
Illinois State returns to the course tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. (CT) alongside co-leader Northern Illinois, Nebraska, and Central Arkansas for the final 18 holes of the event.
The Redbirds are one of two teams in the field to be under par in each of the opening two rounds of the tournament, including rounds of 277 (-7) and 283 (-1) and are tied with Northern Illinois (281, 279) as each program has a two-round 560. Nebraska (566), Central Arkansas (567), tournament host #40 Purdue (567), and #79 VCU (567) round out the schools at or tied for the top five in the field. Ninth-ranked Illinois (569), Ball State (571), Miami (572), #54 UNLV (573), Butler (583), Western Kentucky (585), Eastern Michigan (588), Dayton (592), and DePaul (593) round out the 15 schools in the tournament field.
Each of Peugnet's two rounds were tied for the lowest round among the field of 84 golfers. He started quickly with three birdies in the first four holes, as he had a total of five birdies and just one bogey on the opening time around the course. The final round saw him record six birdies, a bogey, and 11 pars, including opening with four birdies over his first five holes, as he never ended a hole at or above par for the entire 36 holes.
Alex McCulla shot matching rounds of 70 (-1), and his two-round 140 (-2) has him tied for eighth place with 18 holes remaining in the tournament. His first round saw five birdies, four bogeys and nine pars, as he followed that up with three birdies, two bogeys and 13 pars for his final 18 holes. In each round he used late pushes to get to under par, each time with two birdies over his final five holes to end with a 70.
Parker Wisdom shot a first-day 145 (74-71, +3), as he opened the day with a birdie and four bogeys over his first 18 holes. He came back strong in the afternoon round, opening with 10 pars before a birdie dropped him to even par. After two bogeys over a five-hole span pushed him to one over par, he birdied his next-to-last hole to go into the clubhouse at even par and tied for 37th place with a round to play.
ISU newcomer TJ Barger had a tale of two rounds, as he finished two strokes under par for the first round with a 69, before carding a six-over 77 over the afternoon round, and the combination of the two has him tied for 41st in the tournament field. He carded the team's only eagle of the day – and one of just 11 overall through 36 holes – on the 10th hole, as that propelled him through a stretch that had him go from one over par to three under par over a 12-hole span, ending with a two-under 69. He started strong on his afternoon round with two birdies over his first five holes, however, couldn't keep that momentum in his six-over 77.
Will Troy carded a two-round 147 (+5) which has him tied for 51st with one round to play in the event. He opened play with an even-par round of 71, one that saw him card five birdies and nine pars, before carding two more birdies in his afternoon round for a five-over 76.
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