Men's Golf 9/19/2022 8:12:00 PM Bill Salyer

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Using an opening-round 281 (-3), the Illinois State men's golf team stands in a tie of second place at the 2022 Bearcat Invitational, before play was halted for the day because of darkness with just three total holes remaining in the second round.

ISU is six strokes under par with Valentin Peugnet needing two holes to finish and Felix van Dijk one hole. Play will resume tomorrow morning at 7:15 CT to finish the remainder of the second round. After the completion of the second round the field will be re-seeded for the third and final round of the tournament, set to begin at approximately 9 a.m. CT. The Redbirds will take the course early in the morning alongside Sam Houston State and Lamar, as those trio of schools are the only ones with golfers still on the course.

UNCG leads the 13-team field with a 560 (-8) while the Redbirds and tournament host Cincinnati are tied with an aggregate score of -6. Louisville (568, even par), Sam Houston (+2), Rutgers (571, +3), Kentucky (574, +6), Ball State (574, +6), Santa Clara (575, +7), Memphis (575, +7), Lamar (+19), Miami (589, +21), and Xavier (590, +22) rounds out the schools in the field.

By going under par in the first round, the Redbirds have been under par for each of the first six rounds of the season, the longest such streak to open a season in program history. Peugnet has a similar such streak going and has been at or under par in each of the team's rounds this season as well, after carding a three-under 71 over the opening 18 holes of the tournament.

Peugnet, behind his three-under-par opening round, and sitting at three strokes under par through the first 16 holes of the second round his six-under-par aggregate score has him in sole possession of first place in the individual standings – two strokes ahead of second place individually. His opening round saw six birdies and nine pars for his three-under 68. His second round – with two holes remaining – has four birdies against just one bogey and 11 pars has him at three under par.

Sophomore Alex McCulla is tied for second in the field at four under par overall and is one of three Redbirds to play all 36 holes on the day. His first round saw him make the turn at one stroke over par and went one stroke under par on the back nine with three birdies and two bogeys to close the opening 18 holes with an even-par 71. His second round started with him making the turn at two strokes under par with three birdies, a bogey and five pars. His back nine opened with the team's only eagle on the day and was followed by four pars to close the day at four strokes under par and in a three-way tie for second place.

Reigning co-MVC Golfer of the Week van Dijk had a strong start to his day, and made the turn after his first nine holes at four strokes under par. He dropped as far as five strokes below par, closing the day with a career-best 67 – four strokes under par. Outside of a three-hole span, the second round put together by van Dijk was just as strong, as he has four birdies and nine pars with one hole remaining in the second round, as he sits three strokes over par, and is tied for 13th overall.

Parker Wisdom was the final Redbird to complete his two rounds, as his first 18 holes saw him finish with a four-over 75 behind two birdies and nine pars. His second round had a birdie, two bogeys and 15 pars – including pars in each of his last eight holes of the day – to close his final round with a one-over 72.

Playing as a member of the Redbird squad for the first time in his collegiate career, Pietro Pontiggia opened play with a five-over 76 using a birdie and a dozen pars, while carding a trio of birdies and six pars over his back nine, finishing his round at seven strokes over par.

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