RIO VERDE, Ariz. – The Illinois State Redbirds improved their opening-day score by a stroke and head into the third and final day of the 2023 Rio Verde Invitational in 10th place in the 18-team field.
ISU's second-round 306 gives the 'Birds a two-round 613. Xavier is the 36-hole leader with a 582 with Kennesaw State (591), Cal Baptist (597), Akron (604), Ball State (607), Central Michigan (608), Bradley (609), Missouri State (610), and South Dakota (610) stand just ahead and many within striking distance of the Redbirds. Oakland (614), Western Michigan (614), Loyola (616), Butler (617), Bowling Green (619), Wichita State (620), Eastern Michigan (626), and Ohio (626) round out the 18 schools in the tournament.
Ali Schrock led the Redbirds in the second day, carding her second consecutive 75 (+3). The reigning MVC Golfer of the Year started on the 10th hole, and after a par on her opening hole, she hit a rough patch, going +4 over her next two holes. She calmed down after that, ending her first nine holes with six consecutive pars, making the turn at four over par. Her back nine opened with a birdie, par, and birdie to drop her to two over par, as her final six holes saw five pars and a bogey to end three strokes over par on the round.
Newcomer Michaela Kverkova had the team's second-lowest score on the day with a 76 to give her a two-round 157, tied for 62nd individually. Her round, which started on the 13th hole opened with a par and back-to-back birdies. She came back with a par and two bogeys to even her aggregate score to even par. After a third par on her round she had birdies on her eighth and ninth holes of the round to dip back down to two strokes under par. Her round closed with five pars and four over-par scores, ending a four-over par for the day.
Avalon Woodward is tied for 23rd following her second round of 77 (+5), as she had two birdies and 10 pars on the day, closing with a second-day 77, and a tournament score of 151.
Kira Wolf was the teams fourth and final scoring player in the second round, improving her first day score by four strokes, carding a second-round 78 (+6), and her two-day 160 has her tied for 72nd. Wolf's second round, which opened on the 12th hole, saw her card 13 pars and a birdie en route to her 78.
Dani Grace Schrock, following her opening-round 77, struggled on the second day with a 10-over 82, as she had 11 pars on the day, and is tied for 67th with 18 holes to play in the tournament.
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