GULF SHORES, Ala. – After an opening round of 298 the Redbirds closed the opening day with a 296 to climb two spots into a tie of seventh place overall after the first day of the Craft Farms Intercollegiate.
Freshman Pietro Pontiggia is the team leader for ISU after two rounds with a two-over 146, and he sits tied for 15th individually with 18 holes to play. Parker Wisdom and Alex McCulla each have a 36-hole 148 to tie for 29th. Playing as an individual, Will Troy shot a two-round 150 to tie for 41st, with Valentin Peugnet (153, t-56th) and Jack Paeglow (157, t-64th) rounded out the Redbirds in the field.
Texas State is the 36-hole leader in the tournament with a 572, nine strokes ahead of South Alabama in second place with a 581. Loyola Maryland (582), Rice, Oral Roberts, and Georgia State are all ahead of the Redbirds' 594 alongside Western Kentucky who also carded a team score of 594. Oakland (596), Bradley (603), Tennessee Tech (604), DePaul (605), Southern Indiana (610), and Samford (612) round out the 14 schools in the field.
Pontiggia opened his day with two birdies and a dozen pars over his first 18 holes, carding a 76, before coming back with the second-lowest round of his collegiate career with a two-under 70. In his second round he was never over par, as he opened the afternoon session with a birdie, bogey, and birdie. He followed his front nine with six pars before opening his back nine with an eagle on the par-five 10th hole. He added two more birdies down the stretch along with five pars and a single remaining over-par score to finish with the two-under 70.
Wisdom started the tournament with a trio of pars before he hit a seven-hole stretch in which he had two bogeys, two pars and three birdies. Over his last eight holes he had six pars and ended the round two shots over par with a 74. He shot a matching 74 over his second round with a birdie, three bogeys and 14 pars.
Starting his day with back-to-back birdies on his first two holes, Alex McCulla made the turn at a shot under par, and kicked off his back nine with an eagle on the tenth hole. His final eight holes had five pars and three bogeys to close the round at even par. After a birdie, a bogey, and 11 pars over his first 13 holes of his second round, McCulla ended his day with a four-over 76.
Playing as the team's individual and starting on the 10th hole, he opened his day and after three over-par scores and a pair of pars he was four over par through five holes. He closed strong over his final 13 holes with 10 pars and three birdies to finish the round with a two-over 74. His second round started with a birdie and was even par at the turn before ending his day with six pars and three over-par scores for the four-over 76.
Peugnet struggled at the start of his day with three consecutive bogeys; however, he righted the ship and over his final 15 holes he had three birdies, eight pars and four bogeys for the 76. Peugnet closed the day with three birdies and 10 pars en route to his five-over 77.
Paeglow's opening round had a birdie and eight pars for the nine-over 82 before rebounding strong with two more birdies and a dozen pars in his final round for a four-over 76.
The 14 teams in the field return to the course on Monday to close out the 54-hole tournament.
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