BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Illinois State freshman golfer Cynthia Lang is tied for fifth overall through 36 holes, as the Redbirds are in fifth place as a team after the opening two rounds of the Samford Intercollegiate, played at Inverness Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Redbirds had rounds of 319 and 303 on the difficult course and are in fifth place overall with their two-round 622. Jacksonville State is the first day leader with a 590, while tournament host Samford is in second with a 598. UAB (603) and West Florida (616) are just ahead of the Redbirds, while North Alabama (629), Bellarmine (632), and Chattanooga (652) are chasing the Redbirds in the team field.
Lang had rounds of 77 (+6) and 72 (+1) on the 6,264-yard, par-71 course. Her six birdies on the day are tied for the fifth-most in the field, as she also had 21 pars on the day, and is tied for fifth place with 18 holes remaining tomorrow. She has gained ground on the tournament field on the par-five holes, as she is averaging 4.67 on the par-five holes, which is tied for the second-best scoring average on the longest holes of the course.
Reagan Kennedy is on pace for her third consecutive top-15 performance this season, as the senior is tied for 14th in the field after rounds of 76 (+5) and 77 (+6). She had two birdies and nine pars during her opening round, and then two more birdies and 10 pars in the second round. Her scoring average on par-four holes – 4.23 – is tied for the ninth-best in the field.
Alex Sparrow opened with an 81 and worked back with a 77 over the second round, as she had a birdie during each round, while adding 17 pars – five during the first round and a dozen in the second – and is tied for 26th overall. She was stellar on the par three holes, averaging 3.25 strokes on the par three's on the course, which is tied for the sixth-best average in the tournament.
Freshman Cora Hirz is tied for 34th after the first day, as she had four birdies and 13 pars during her 36 holes, while classmate Xuan (Hazel) Gao is tied for 48th with rounds of 87 and 85 with a birdie and 13 pars during the opening day.
The Redbirds tee off alongside West Florida and North Alabama tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. for the final round of the 2026 fall season.
