WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Fighting a difficult course and a back-nine rain shower, Illinois State golfers Alex McCulla and Valentin Peugnet put together a strong turn around the course in the second round of the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional.
Both McCulla and Peugnet closed the opening round after carding matching scores of 76 – four shots over par – and came back with rounds of 74 and 77, respectively, to stand in a tie for 53rd and 60th, each.
The Redbirds take to the course for the final time in the 2023-24 season on Wednesday morning, starting at 10:01 a.m.
McCulla, a native of Quincy, Illinois, started with back-to-back pars before seeing his tee shot on the par-four third hole land in the deep grass, and ended with a double-bogey. Â After three straight pars he carded his first birdie of the day on the par-four seventh hole, but a bogey one hole later put him at two shots over par, as a par on the ninth hole sent him into the turn at two strokes over par.
He started the back half of the course with four straight pars, staying at two shots over par. He followed with his birdie on the back nine on the fifth hole to drop to one over par. After two more pars he bogeyed the par-three 17th hole before closing with a par on the final hole to end the day with the two-over 74.
Peugnet, a recent Illinois State graduate, started his day strong with a birdie on the par-four first hole. After two straight pars he recorded a bogey. Two holes later he earned back the score with another birdie – this one on the par-five sixth hole; however, a bogey on the ninth hole sent him into the turn at even par.
He opened the back nine with bogeys on the 10th and 12th holes, pushing his aggregate score to two shots over par. After a trio of pars, he closed the day with a bogey, a par, and a double-bogey to finish the day with the five-over 77.
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