Redbirds Get Balanced Effort in Strong MVC Opening Round
WATERLOO, Ill. – The Illinois State women's golf team had its top four players finish the opening 18 holes among the top nine golfers in the field, and the Redbirds take an eight-stroke lead into the second round of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship tomorrow morning.
The Redbirds got even-par 72's from Jessica Jolly and Morgan Jones, and one-over 73's from Jinyoung Yun and Elise Fennell to lead ISU to an opening-day 290 (+2). The team's 290 is the lowest single-round score by a school in the three seasons that the Championship has been held at Annbriar Golf Course, and the lowest by a team since the 2018 third round and is tied for the fifth-lowest single-round score in MVC Championship history.
ISU's 290 outdistanced the field, including by eight against Evansville, who is in second through the first of three rounds. Drake (301), Southern Illinois (301), Bradley (302), Missouri State (310), Northern Iowa (312), Murray State (313), UIC (316), Indiana State (323), Belmont (323), and Valparaiso (335) round out the dozen schools in the tournament field.
Tomorrow the Redbirds tee off on the 10th hole starting at 10:20 a.m. with Jolly, while Lory Paradis tees off at 10:30, Jones at 10:40, Fennell at 10:50, and Yun at 11:00.
Jolly's opening-round 72 consisted of three birdies and a dozen pars and went -3 overall on par-5's, tied for the lowest score on the longest holes on the course. Jones had two birdies and a tournament co-high 14 pars for her even-par 72.
Yun had two birdies and 14 pars –tying for the tournament lead with Jones after 18 holes – for her one-over 73 which is tied for sixth with Fennell. Fennell had four birdies – tied for the second-most in the field after the first day – as she also added nine pars on the day. Paradis had two birdies and nine pars in the first round, and her 78 has her tied for 26th in the 60-golfer tournament field.
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Players Mentioned
- Graduate Student
- Redshirt Junior
- Freshman
- Freshman
- Senior
Players Mentioned
- Graduate Student
- Redshirt Junior
- Freshman
- Freshman
- Senior
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