DORADO, P.R. – The Illinois State men's golf team has continued its torrid start to the 2023-24 spring season, carding an 11-under 277 over the opening 18 holes of the Dorado Beach Collegiate, a score that is tied for the ninth-lowest single-round score in program history.
The Redbirds were led on the day by Felix van Dijk, whose five-under 67 (-5) is tied for eighth, while TJ Barger shot a collegiate-low-tying 68 (-4) and is tied for 14th. Will Troy, playing as an individual, had a pair of eagles and finished with a three-under 69, good for a tie of 21st place. Three Redbird golfers – Valentin Peugnet, Parker Wisdom, and Pietro Pontiggia – each finished with a one-under 71 and are tied for 47th with 36 holes remaining in the tournament.
Tournament host UNCG leads the field through the first of three rounds with a 270, while West Virginia (271), Louisiana Monroe (275), and Ball State (276) sit just ahead of ISU's 277. Rounding out the field of 17 schools is Kent State (277), UTSA (278), Butler (279), George Mason (280), Valparaiso (280), Southern Miss (282), Winthrop (286), Maryland (288), Denver (288), Army West Point (290), Old Dominion (293), and Bryant (293).
The 17 squads meet back on the course on Monday morning, with an expected tee time of 6:30 a.m. (CT) for the second of three rounds.
Starting on the par-four 15th hole, van Dijk started steady and ended strong. He opened his day by sandwiching four pars around a birdie, sitting at -1 through his opening nine holes. Over his final nine holes he had two pars, a bogey and five birdies, closing the day at five strokes under par.
Barger – like van Dijk – was never over par on the day, as he opened with a birdie on his first hole, the par-five 14th hole. A bogey evened his score, which stayed at even par until his eighth hole where he carded one of his five birdies over the last 11 holes, as he also closed strong with back-to-back birdies to end the round with a 68.
Playing as an individual, Will Troy had two eagles – on his seventh and 10th holes of the round – and over the other 16 holes he had 15 pars and a bogey, heading into the clubhouse with a three-under 69.
Reigning MVC Golfer of the Week Valentin Peugnet started strong and had an aggregate score under par after each of the 18 holes on the course, as he opened with a birdie on his first hole and added a second birdie four holes laster. His score dipped as low as four under par after back-to-back birdies; however, he was three over par for his last five holes, closing the day with a one-under 71.
Wisdom – like a plethora of Redbird golfers on the day – was never over par, as he opened his day with a birdie, and was even par through five holes. He hit a hot stretch in the middle of the round with five birdies over a nine-hole span to drop to five shots under par, closing with a one-under 71 for the round.
Illinois State's second individual golfer in the tournament – Pietro Pontiggia – had a steady round with 15 pars, two birdies and a solitary bogey, closing play after the first day of the tournament with a one-under 71. Alex McCulla opened and closed his round in a strong way, opening with a birdie and carding two birdies over his final four holes, ending the day with a six-over 78.
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