NORMAL, Ill.– First-year Illinois State women's golf head coach Jackie Szymoniak has announced her program's 2025-26 tournament schedule, including a home tournament to open the season, and culminating at the MVC Championship in Silvis, Illinois.
The Jackie Szymoniak era of Redbird women's golf begins on September 7-8 as ISU hosts the Redbird Invitational for the 15th consecutive season, after taking the title at the event last season with a tournament-record score of 849 a season ago, breaking the previous Redbird Invitation scoring record by 12 strokes.
A weekend later the team will travel to the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, on September 15-16 to compete in the Inverness Intercollegiate – the first time that ISU will have competed at the event in the program's history.
After a one-year hiatus, the Redbirds return to the Coyote Creek Classic, hosted by Bradley, on October 5-6. Prior to last season, ISU had participated in the event over the previous three tournaments, finishing inside of the top five in each.
The fall season culminates in Jonesboro, Arkansas at the Lady Red Wolves Classic, hosted by Arkansas State University on October 13 and 14. The last time ISU has competed in an event hosted by Arkansas State since the 1996-97 season.
The spring season opens with the UNCG / Advance Golf Partners Collegiate, hosted by UNCG on February 1-3.
Late in February, on the 20th through the 22nd, the Birds will compete in the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational in Rio Verde, Arizona for the fifth consecutive season. The tournament – hosted by Western Michigan – saw ISU finish as the runner-up in each of the last two seasons.
Old Barnwell Country Club in Aiken, South Carolina, will be the host for the second consecutive season for the More than Golf Invitational on March 1-3. Co-hosted by the ANNIKA Foundation, the Redbirds placed third in the tournament a year ago – the inaugural year for the event.
Two new tournaments for ISU dot the schedule to close out March, as the Birds travel to Augusta, Georgia, to compete in the Valspar Augusta Invitational on March 14-15, and to Holland, Missouri, on March 23-25 for the Ozarks National Invitational.
The pre-MVC Championship season comes to a close at the Boilermaker Spring Classic on April 12-13. Last season at the event – hosted at Ackerman-Allen Golf Course – saw ISU finish fourth in the tournament.
The Redbirds will look to extend their MVC Championship run on April 19-21 as ISU will compete in the yearly event, hosted this season at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
