MADISON, Wis. – On an opening day that had two different lightning delays, the Illinois State men's golf team had student-athletes that have played between 23 and 27 holes before darkness set in, setting up a final day with the remaining holes in the 54-hole event.
The Redbirds got a balanced effort from the squad, with five of the team's seven golfers in the tournament sitting between -1 and +2, and ISU is in fifth place among the strong field.
Southern Miss, at -10 on the tournament is the team leader, with Southern Illinois (-5), Toledo (-5), and Northern Illinois (-3), while ISU's -1 has them as the fifth and final school with an under-par score, as the five schools have varying amounts of holes to play in the second round. Xavier (even), UTSA (+1), VCU (+2), Oakland (+6), DePaul (+10), Green Bay (+11), Wisconsin (+12), Minnesota (+12), and Valparaiso (+16) round out the 14 schools in the tournament.
Leading the way on the day for ISU has been TJ Barger, who at -1, is the only Redbird under par at -1 and tied for 12th individually. He opened his day with a three-under 69, including ending his round with three consecutive birdies to give him the sub-70 score. He got off to a slow start early in the second round with three pars and a pair of bogeys, and he has 13 holes remaining in his second round tomorrow morning.
Playing in his first collegiate event, freshman Sam Ottwell is at even par through the halfway point of the tournament – 27 holes. Like Barger, he closed strong in the first round, as he had two birdies in his final three holes to finish with a two-under 70. His start to the second round saw two bogeys over his first three holes; however, he finished with six straight pars before darkness closed his round and is tied for 18th.
Max Faucquez is also tied for 18th alongside Ottwell, as he is also at even par after an even 72 to open the tournament, which included three birdies, while starting his second round with seven consecutive pars, and has 29 holes to play in the tournament. The sophomore has 20 pars through his first 25 holes are tied for the fifth-most in the tournament field individually.
Senior Pietro Pontiggia is tied for 24th with a +1 score through 25 holes, and his seven birdies thus far in the tournament is tied for the eighth-most in the field. He had an opening-round 73 (+1) with five birdies and seven pars, before carding two birdies, three pars, and two bogeys through the first seven holes of his second round, as he stands at even par.
Playing as an individual, Francis Bautista is at +2 on the day, +1 through the first round using three birdies and 11 pars, and through his first 10 holes of the second round has three birdies and four pars and is tied for 35th individually.
Aiden Cudney – ISU's second individual in the tournament – is at +6 through 24 holes, as he carded a three-over 75 in the first round and is at +3 through the first six holes of his second round and tied for 67th. Gonzalo Cuellar opened with an 80 (+8) before steadying through the first eight holes of the second round and is at +1 including a birdie in his second round, as he came into the clubhouse in the darkness-shortened second round through eight holes.
The Redbirds and the other 13 schools will resume the round with an 8:45 a.m. shotgun start to complete the tournament.
