AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Illinois State Redbirds fought back in the second round of the 2026 Valspar Augusta Invitational, as the birds are in 17th place in the field with 18 holes to play on Sunday, and have put themselves in position to steeply climb over the final round.
The highlight of the day for ISU came in the second round, as Dani Grace Schrock – who started the day on the 16th hole - recorded a hole-in-one on her seventh hole on the 163-yard, par three fourth hole.
The team leader through the first 36 holes is 34th-ranked Missouri with a two-round score of 564, and the Tigers are chased by Furman (573), #37 Kentucky (575), #41 Indiana (583), Minnesota (583), Augusta (589), Xavier (590), Yale (596), Columbia (596), North Florida (597), Georgia Southern (601), Coastal Carolina (601), Georgia State (609), Western Kentucky (610), Daytona State (625), Northern Illinois (625), and Illinois State (628).
Leading the way individually for ISU is sophomore Elise Fennell, who opened her day with a two-over 74 before following it up with a three-over 75. Over the 36-hole score of 149 she had six birdies and 21 pars and is tied for 35th with a round to play in the tournament.
Reagan Kennedy and Alex Sparrow are knotted at 69th in the individual standings, each with 157. Kennedy had rounds of 78 and 79, using three birdies and 18 pars over the 36 holes. Sparrow had rounds of 81 and 76, recording three birdies and 18 pars.
Highlighted by the ace, Schrock is in 87th place with rounds of 82 and 83 as she also had a birdie and 16 pars over the opening 36 holes, while Reagan Braker's rounds of 88 and 90 have her in 88th place.
