BARK RIVER, Mich. – Behind a record-setting tournament from Alex McCulla, becoming the first Redbird golfer in program history to shoot under a 200, the Illinois State Redbirds finished second of 11 schools at the 2023 Island Resort Intercollegiate over Labor Day weekend, carding the program's third-best tournament score in history.
Michigan took the team title with a three-round 834, with the Redbirds finishing five strokes behind with an 839. North Texas (848), Miami (849), St. Mary's (851), Boise State (853), South Dakota State (858), Coastal Carolina (860), Central Florida (860), Bowling Green (871), and Ohio (885) rounded out the 11 schools in the tournament field.
ISU's 839 trails only the school-record 836 by the squad at least season's MVC Championship, and the 837 at the ASU Indian Classic during the 2007-08 season. Each of the team's three rounds are inside of the top-35 single-rounds in school history, including the 278 from the first round (10th), the 280 from the second round (24th), and the 281 from the final round (31st).
McCulla used rounds of 64, 65, and 70 for his school-record score, as he became the 77th golfer in NCAA history to shoot -17 or better for a tournament. He finished three shots ahead of second place in his first collegiate individual victory.
Parker Wisdom and Valentin Peugnet each carded a tournament score of 211 and tied for 11th. Wisdom, in his career-low tournament, had rounds of 74, 66, and 71 to finish five strokes under par. Peugnet had rounds of 73, 68, and 70 for his near-top-10 finish.
Will Troy carded a career-low round to end the tournament with a final-round 67, giving him a career-low tournament score of 214 (-2).
In his first event as a Redbird, TJ Barger finished with a three-round 217 (+1) and tied for 35th in the field.
Fifth-year senior Felix van Dijk shot a final round 74 to finish with a 222, tied for 51st while Jack Paeglow carded a three-round 229 (77-77-75) to place 72nd.
The Redbirds return to action on Monday, September 18 when the team competes at the Bearcat Invitational at Coldstream Country Club
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