WATERLOO, Ill. – A 12-foot putt by senior TJ Barger in the second round of sudden-death playoffs sent the Redbirds to their second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference title, the first time in program history that the Redbirds have won back-to-back, and the first time by a school in the MVC since 2014 and 2015. ISU closed the 54 holes tied with Murray State, and the putt from the senior secured victory – the first time that the championship has needed a playoff since 1971.
After a lightning delay that began shortly after the close of the third round, Illinois State and Murray State started a tie breaking playoff – the first in the MVC since 1971 – with one golfer on holes 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, with each player playing one hole. After the first round of playoffs, each of the teams each carded a 22. After a second lightning delay, the teams returned to the same holes and were tied at 15-15 before the day's third lightning delay halted play with one group left on the course. Barger's chip shot from just off the green put him 12 feet away, which he sunk for the victory.
Between the conclusion of the 54 holes, and the start of the playoff, awards were handed out, and the Redbirds had three golfers: Barger, Francis Bautista, and Max Faucquez, named to the All-MVC squad. Freshman Sam Ottwell was named the MVC Freshman of the Year, while head coach Ray Kralis was named MVC Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, and the sixth of his career.
Illinois State's three round score of 839 (-13) is now tied for the third lowest in the history of the MVC Championship, behind only Oklahoma State's team score of 833 during the 1949 Championship and ISU's 836 set during the 2023 Tournament.
ISU and Murray State tied with an 839 with Southern Illinois (846), Evansville (861), Drake (867), Valparaiso (870), Bradley (873), Belmont (878), and Northern Iowa (902) rounding out the nine schools in the tournament.
Senior Francis Bautista became ISU's first MVC Medalist since David Rauer won the event in 2019. His 54-hole score of 203 (-10) is tied for the third-lowest tournament score in MVC Championship history, and the lowest MVC Tournament score ever by a Redbird golfer.
Bautista placed first with a 203, out-distancing Southern Illinois' Anthony DeSchutter for medalist honors, with TJ Barger and Max Faucquez each tying for sixth with a 210. Sam Ottwell tied for 21st with a 220, while Pietro Pontiggia tied for 26th with a 221.
Bautista surrounded a bogey and birdie on his front nine with seven pars, as he headed to the back nine at even par. He opened his back half of the course with a birdie on the 10th, dropping him to -1 on the day then followed that with back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, before giving a stroke back on both the 15th and 16th holes before closing with back-to-back pars to secure the tournament win.
Barger started with four birdies to begin his final round, before he carded a birdie on the fifth and seventh hole, dropping him to -2 on the day. Two consecutive pars sent him into the turn at -2; however, a bogey on the 10th hole pushed him to -1. He followed with a par, before his third birdie of the day dropped him back to -2 on the day. Back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th pushed him to even par, before answering back with a birdie on the 17th hole to finish with a one-under 71 for the day and three-under 210 on the tournament.
Faucquez – who birdied three of his final four holes at the end of round two – continued his strong stretch of play, as he opened the final day with birdies on each of his first two holes, and then settled in with five consecutive pars. He broke his par streak with a birdie on the par-four eighth hole. The steady sophomore followed the birdie with six straight pars before his clean round was halted with a bogey on the par-three 15th hole, before he finished with three consecutive pars to finish with a two-under 71 on the day, and a three-under 210 for the tournament.
Pontiggia opened his day with birdies on the second and fifth holes, before his score took a hit with a bogey on the par-four sixth hole, dropping him from -2 to -1. A bogey on the ninth hole sent him into the turn with an even-par 35. He started his back nine with consecutive pars, until bogeys on the par-four 12th hole and the par-four 16th hole pushed him to two shots over par for the day – separated by a trio of pars. He closed with two more pars to finish the day with a two-over 73, and a 221 for the 54 holes (+8).
Ottwell had a steady opening with four consecutive pars before his first birdie came on the par-five fifth hole. He added a second birdie on the par-three seventh hole, before his clean round came to an end with bogey on the par-four eighth hole. A par on the ninth sent him into the turn at a shot under par; however, he struggled at the start of the back nine with triple bogeys on the 10th and 13th holes. He closed his day with four pars and a bogey, ending with a six-over 77 for the round, and a seven-over 220 over the three days.
The Redbirds await their fate as the school will find out if the team or any individuals will qualify for an at-large spot at one of the six NCAA Regionals: Athens, Georgia; Bermuda Run, North Carolina; Bryan, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Corvallis, Oregon; and Marana, Arizona. The announcement of which Regional the Redbirds will compete on May 6 on the Golf Channel.
