The Illinois State men’s golf team is set to begin its spring season at the 2026 Border Olympics, which will take place at Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas. The tournament, hosted by the University of Houston, starts on Monday with 36 holes and concludes Tuesday with an additional 18 holes.
This year’s field includes nationally ranked teams such as Houston (50), Illinois State (104), North Texas (106), Louisiana (126), UT Rio Grande Valley (128), Tarleton State (139), Sam Houston (140), New Mexico State (142), Troy (160), Wichita State (168), Wright State (195), Lamar (200) and Houston Christian (218).
Representing Illinois State are golfers TJ Barger, Max Faucquez, Pietro Pontiggia, Francis Bautista and Sam Ottwell.
Illinois State has participated in this event for the past five seasons. Notably, two years ago the team set a program record with a -32 tournament score of 832. That year, Valentin Peugnet tied the school record by carding a tournament score under 200 with a total of 199.
Recent finishes for Illinois State at this event include:
– 2025: tied for 14th out of 16 teams
– 2024: first out of 17 teams
– 2023: eleventh out of 17 teams
– 2022: tied for seventh out of fourteen teams
– 2021: eighth out of eighteen teams
The Laredo Country Club course measures up to 7,257 yards with a par of 72. It is known for its challenging layout and variety in tee markers that cater to different skill levels.
Illinois State Redbirds benefit from resources like the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund to enhance competitiveness and recruitment efforts according to their official website. The athletic program is affiliated with Illinois State University and competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions (source). The university also provides facilities such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for athlete preparation (source).
For more information about schedules or rosters related to Illinois State athletics, fans can visit their official site.
