COLUMBIA, Mo. – Another strong back nine finish helped propel the Redbirds up the leaderboard as the team carded a second-round 286 – 25 strokes better than the opening round – with one round to play tomorrow at the Johnie Imes Invitational.
The 286 is tied for the third-best round in program history, and the third time this season that ISU has had a team round score of 287 or lower through five rounds. ISU's 286 on the round was the third-lowest on the day, and the fourth-lowest round of the tournament this season. The round is also the lowest for ISU in their 11 times at the event, and just the sixth time in those 11 tournaments to card a 300 or lower team score for a round.
Behind a second-round 281, Lipscomb is the two-day leader at the tournament with a 567 while tournament host Missouri – who finished 10 under par on the day – is second with a 572. Florida International (575), Morehead State (582), Oral Roberts (584), Eastern Kentucky (590), Missouri State (594), Drake (595), Northern Illinois (595), and Howard (596) are all just ahead of the Redbirds, as ISU is within seven strokes of the top-six. Omaha (605) and Creighton (617) round out the 13 schools in the field.
ISU had two players under par for the round, including a season-low 69 from senior Avalon Woodward, her third round at or under par this season. The 69 marks the 13th time in program history that a Redbird golfer has eclipsed the 70-stroke plateau, as she shot her season-low 68 last season in February. On Tuesday she opened her day with six pars and a bogey through her opening seven holes. A birdie on her eighth hole put her back to even par, as she followed with four more pars. Her last six holes were an up-and-down of epic proportions, as she had three birdies, two bogeys, and an eagle, ending -3 over that final stretch to finish with the three-under 69.
Transfer Jinyoung Yun shot a two-under 70 – her fourth under-par score in five rounds as an ISU golfer – including a front nine with all pars, and a back nine with three birdies and five pars, as she is tied for 13th with 18 holes remaining in the tournament. Both Woodward and Yun are tied for 15th overall in the field through 36 holes.
Ali Schrock finished at even par for her round, despite standing three strokes over par through the first seven holes. Over her final 11 holes on the course, she had four birdies and six pars, closing at three-under par down the stretch – including a streak of three birdies and three pars over her final six holes, and is tied for 46th with one round to play on the tournament.
Dani Grace Schrock was the team's fourth scorer on the day, as she closed her round with two birdies and four pars over her final six holes and finished with a three-over 75 and is in 64th place with a round to play. Vinisha Gunaseelan overcame a rough start to finish her last 11 holes with 10 pars and a birdie to end with a four-over 76 over the middle round of the tournament.
The Redbirds tee off tomorrow at 8 a.m. alongside Howard and Omaha starting on the 11th hole.
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