McLean County Times

Five Illinois State golfers – TJ Barger, Alex McCulla, Will Troy, Felix van Dijk, and Parker Wisdom – have been named to the 2023-24 Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar list for NCAA Division I.

To be eligible for the Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically. In addition, they must participate in 50% of their team's competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

Illinois State was one of 25 NCAA Division I schools to have at least five recipients on the list.

Barger, a Bloomington native, concluded his opening season as a Redbird with a season stroke average of 72.9 – the 14th lowest in a season in school history – with 14 of his 32 rounds coming in at or under par. He had one top-five finish on the year at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate, where he tied for fifth overall with a career-low-tying tournament score of 211. He recorded seven rounds under 70 on the year, including a season-low 68 in four different rounds. He had a four-tournament stretch during the spring where he was under par for three tournaments.

McCulla earned an at-large spot into the West Lafayette NCAA Regional during the season and averaged 71.4 strokes per round on the season – the second-lowest season scoring average in program history. He had 21 of his 35 rounds at or under par and added four top-10 finishes, including earning medalist honors at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate. In that event, he set a new program record for lowest tournament score by becoming the first golfer in ISU history to card a score under 200 with a three-round total of 199. During that tournament he carded a career-low 64, which is the third-lowest single-round score in program history.

Troy played in 20 rounds with a stroke average of 72.0 during the year – the fifth-lowest season scoring average in program history. Of his 20 rounds, 11 were at or under par, including a career-low 66 at the Badger Individual on October 2nd where he tied for second place in the field. He tied for 14th at the Dorado Beach Collegiate after recording a rain-shortened two-round tournament score of 137 – the second-lowest two-round tournament score in program history.

Van Dijk ended his Redbird career by playing in 26 rounds as a senior with an average of 72.3 strokes per round – marking it as the seventh-lowest season scoring average by a Redbird since inception of their golf program. Twelve out of his twenty-six rounds were either equal to or below par scores including setting another school record - achieving total score over thirty-six holes equaling just hundred thirty-five points during Dorado Beach Collegiate event; accumulating fifty-four hole total number (two-hundred-seven) also made it into thirteenth position among best-three round tournaments historically within this institution's records plus secured himself within top ten ranking throughout four different occasions alongwith claiming fifth positions twice consecutively i.e., Dayton Flyer Invitational & Dorado Beach Collegiate respectively; maintaining seventy-three point seventy-five till final day remained eighth best across entire span thereby contributing significantly towards teams success overall through years gone by...

Wisdom will begin serving as graduate assistant next term averaging seventy-two point eight during past thirty-two encounters twelve times matching/exceeding previous limits inclusive culminating ninth rank April's Hawkeye Invitational - consecutive five events remaining consistent minus/five points i.e., Hawkeye itself ranked twentieth amongst highest scorers ever achieved whilst maintaining seventy-four point one three four until concluding chapter collectively ensuring eleventh best historic tally Redbirds...

Redbirds finished off memorable '23-'24 term rewriting record books consistently aggregating lowest mean (285), combined individual effort totaling ninety-six either/below required margins cumulatively topping eleven similar yet exclusive accomplishments achieving boundary lines recording lowest ever collectively placed eights-thirty-two i.e., Border Olympics further tying up singular performances scoring exact two-hundred-seventy-three alike same event…

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