WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Playing in an unconventionally-scored tournament, the Illinois State Redbirds opened play with a four-over team score through the first round and are in seventh place with 18 holes to play in the tournament.
The tournament has a non-traditional scoring system for the tournament, as teams are playing six golfers and scoring the top five – a change from the traditional playing five and scoring four golfers format.
Purdue leads the field through 36 holes with a team score of 715, while Northern Illinois (724), Toledo (727), Indiana (730), Ball State (731), and Oakland (739) are just ahead of ISU's 740 – which came via rounds of 364 and 376. Purdue Fort Wayne (745), Butler (750), DePaul (756), Omaha (762), Southern Illinois (763), and Bowling Green (770) are chasing the Redbirds and the other six schools ahead of ISU.
Fernando Cobo Delgado had rounds of 70 and 74, the 70 tying for the 30th-best single-round by a Redbird freshman in program history. He had two birdies and 16 pars in his opening round and added three birdies and 11 pars in the second round and is at even par with 18 holes to play. He has 27 pars over 36 holes, the third-most in the tournament, while his par-five scoring average of 4.63 is tied for the seventh best.
Max Faucquez is tied for 22nd after rounds of 72 and 74 has him two over par with 18 holes to play. He had six birdies in his first round, and two more in the second, while carding 18 pars on the day. His par-five scoring average of 4.63 is tied for the seventh-best in the tournament.
Freshman Rayden Tee and sophomore Gonzalo Cuellar have 36-hole scores of 150 and 151, and are tied for 41st and 43rd, respectively. Tee had five birdies and 21 pars on his day, while Cuellar had three birdies and 25 pars through his opening day.
Aiden Cudney and Beau Eftink are each tied for 52nd with rounds of 76-77 and 73-80, respectively. Cudney had a birdie and 25 pars, while Eftink had five birdies and 22 pars. Eftink had an average score of 2.88 on the course's par three holes, which was tied for the third-best par three scoring average in the tournament.
The Redbirds close out play in the tournament on Tuesday alongside Ball State, Oakland, and Purdue Fort Wayne starting at 8:30 a.m. CT.
