NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head men's golf coach Ray Kralis has unveiled his program's 2023-24 schedule, which includes five events in the fall season and seven more in the spring – including the final scheduled tournament of the season as the 'Birds look to retain their crown atop the MVC standings.
The season opens on September 3-4 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, an event which the Redbirds won last season. The event, hosted by South Dakota State, saw the Redbirds card a three-round 856, eight strokes under par, in ISU's first appearance in the event.
Two weekends later, the Redbirds travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, to compete in the Bearcat Invitational. Last season, ISU took fourth out of 13 schools at the event, and 2023 will be the third all-time appearance for the 'Birds in the tournament at Coldstream Country Club.
With two wins in the last four times competing in the tournament the Redbirds will travel north to the Badger Invitational on October 1-3. ISU won the tournament in 2021 and in 2018. Illinois State has competed in the Wisconsin tournament in each of the last nine fall seasons (excluding the 2021 season which did not have a fall portion).
The following weekend ISU travels to West Lafayette, Indiana, to tee it up at the Purdue Fall Invitational. This season is the third consecutive season the 'Birds have competed in the tournament, with ISU placing 10th last season and a tie of sixth the year earlier.
The fall season wraps up for Illinois State on October 16-17 when the team travels to Kettering, Ohio for the Dayton Invitational. Last season snapped a two-season absence in the event, with the Redbirds placing fifth last season, second in 2018, and fourth in 2017.
ISU travels to warm weather for its first four tournaments of the spring season, including the opening weekend of the spring season on February 19-20 when the squad travels to Laredo, Texas, to compete in the Border Olympics, hosted by the University of Houston. Last season was the third consecutive year that ISU has played in the tournament, as the team has placed 11th, seventh, and eighth in the last three tournaments.
The Redbirds remain on their southern tour on February 25-27 when the squad steps outside of the continental United States to compete at the Dorado Beach Collegiate, hosted by UNC Greensboro in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The last time ISU has ventured outside of the continental U.S. was in November of 2020 when the team competed in the White Sands Intercollegiate in the Bahamas.
The upcoming event is the fourth consecutive season that Illinois State has competed in the Louisiana Classics – and the seventh time overall, this season March 11-12. Held at Oakbourne Country Club, ISU's eighth place finish last season was the team's best since starting to compete at the tournament.
The final southern tournament for the Birds comes on March 24-26 at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate hosted by South Alabama at Craft Farms – Cotton Creek Golf Course. Last season at the tournament the 'Birds placed eighth overall.
Returning to the Midwest, ISU hosts the Redbird Shootout on April 7, the men's program's first home event since the Duel at D.A. in April of 2019.
The final pre-MVC Championship event comes on April 13-14 at the Hawkeye Invitational hosted at Finkbine Golf Course. The last time the Redbirds competed at the tournament was two seasons ago, and this year is the fourth time competing in the tournament.
April 21-23 provides the reigning MVC Champion Redbirds a chance to repeat at the conference championships for the first time since Wichita State won titles in 2014 and 2015. Last season the Redbirds ran away with the title, and the team's tournament score of 836 was the second-lowest 54-hole score in MVC Championship history.
The Redbirds return all seven golfers from last season's conference champion roster, while adding former Illinois High School state champion T.J. Barger as a transfer from the University of Illinois.
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