CORDOVA, Tenn. – Using a final-round 295, the Illinois State men's golf team kept their positioning through the final day, placing fifth at the 2026 Memphis Intercollegiate: Spirited by Old Dominick.
Tournament host Memphis won the team title with an 866, while Wright State (878) and Eastern Kentucky (880) chased the Tigers on the final day. Troy (883) finished a single stroke ahead of ISU's 884, while Tarleton State (887), Dayton (889), Lipscomb (889), Central Arkansas (897), Louisiana Monroe (908), and Jacksonville State (920) rounded out the 11 schools in the tournament field.
Leading the way on the final round was senior TJ Barger, who ended with a one-under 71, using two birdies and 15 pars on his final round, while his 41 pars over the course of the 54 holes was the most of any golfer in the field. Through his three-rounds, which ended with a score of 222, he tied for 15th.
Pietro Pontiggia was ISU's top individual finisher for the tournament, tying for 10th place with a three-round score of 220, including a three-over 75 in the final round. Over the course of the tournament, he had the ninth-best par-four scoring average (4.10) in the field, and in his final round he had three birdies and 11 pars for his three-over score.
Max Faucquez tied for 28th individually, as he had rounds of 75, 75, and 74 for the total score of 224. Over his third round he had three birdies and 10 pars, while his 39 pars over the three rounds were tied for the fourth-most in the tournament.
Gonzalo Cuellar closed his tournament with an 83, as he had a birdie and 10 pars, placing 41st, while classmate Sam Ottwell ended with his lowest round of the tournament with a three-over 75 that had a pair of birdies and a dozen pars, as he tied for 42nd in the tournament.
ISU is back in action next week, when the squad travels to Columbia, Missouri, to compete in the Tiger Invitational, hosted by the University of Missouri at The Club at Old Hawthorne on April 6 and 7.
