SEDONA, Ariz. – Behind a school-record-tying round from senior Jinyoung Yun, the Illinois State women's golf team is tied for first place in the 20-team Red Rocks Invitational field, as the second round was stopped two-thirds of the way through because of darkness. Tomorrow morning the schools will finish the remaining portions of the second round, and roll directly through into the third and final round in the tournament.
Yun's round of 67 is the fourth time that a Redbird golfer has carded a round under 68, as the other three times were also accomplished by Yun on October 23, September 11, and September 10. ISU's 289 to open the tournament is tied for the 11th-best single-round in program history – as now six of the top dozen rounds in program history have come during the 2023-24 season.
ISU was tied for the top spot after the first round alongside Grand Canyon with a 289. North Dakota State (291), Lipscomb (294), Seattle (294), Cal State Fullerton (294), Northern Arizona (295), Northern Colorado (295), Weber State (295), Idaho (299), Navy (300), Northern Illinois (302), Montana State (304), Cal State Northridge (306), Missouri State (306), Montana (307), Wichita State (307), Creighton (310), Eastern Washington (312), Southern Utah (316) round out the 20 schools in the tournament field.
At the point of stoppage – with the squad playing between 15 and 17 holes into the second round – the Redbirds are in a tie of second place, just one shot away from the top of the field.
Starting on the par-five sixth hole, Yun spent her entire first round under par, as she opened with two birdies and a par over her first three holes. Following a bogey on her fourth hole – she came back with three straight birdies to drop her to four shots under par. Her low point of the round came during a five-hole stretch in which she had three pars and a pair of bogeys; however, she closed strong with three birdies and three pars over her final six holes to end with the five-under 67, and in first place in the field by three strokes.
Avalon Woodward is tied for 17th after one completed round with a one-over par 73. She started her day strong with a birdie and 10 pars over her first 11 holes. She remained even par over her next four holes with a birdie, two pars, and a bogey, before closing with two bogeys and a par to finish with the 73.
Ali Schrock, the reigning MVC Golfer of the Week, is tied for 34t individually with a first-round 74, as she had two birdies, a dozen pars and four bogeys.
Graduate Vinisha Gunaseelan's opening-round 75 is tied for 43rd, as she had three birdies – second-most on the team – to go along with nine pars.
Dani Grace Schrock's score of 79 over her opening 18 holes has her tied for 79th, as she had 11 pars on the round, with Kira Wolf's 80 being tied for 89th.
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