SEASIDE, Calif. – Playing in a tournament inside of the state border of California for the first time since the 2014-15 season, the Illinois State men's golf team is battling the strong field at the Leadership and Golf Collegiate Championship.
Leading the way for ISU was the duo of Alex McCulla and Will Troy, who are each tied for 34th with an opening-round 74.
BYU is the first-day leader in the tournament with a 281, and the Cougars are chased by Sam Houston (282), Santa Clara (283), Pacific (283), Seattle (286), Loyola Marymount (287), Nevada (291), Saint Mary's (294), Cal Baptist (297), San Francisco (297), UC Irvine (298), UC Santa Barbara (299), Sacramento State (302), and Illinois State (303).
ISU, one of just two schools not near the western coast, was led by Bautista, as he was followed by Alex McCulla and Will Troy who are tied for 34th with a two-over 74.
In McCulla's two-over 74, he had three birdies and 11 pars in addition to four over-par scores. Troy had an eagle and two birdies, while carding 10 pars and five bogeys. Bautista carded five birdies on his round and had eight pars for his 76.
Freshman Aiden Cudney finished with a 77, tied for 65th. Cudney had a trio of birdies on his day with nine pars. Pietro Pontiggia had a birdie and 11 pars for his six-over 78 (tied for 70th), while TJ Barger had three birdies and six pars in his eight-over 80, and he sits tied for 81st with two rounds remaining in this tournament.
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