McLean County Times

Illinois State men's golf team is set to commence its 2024-25 season at the Island Resort Intercollegiate in Bark River, Michigan. The event will feature a competitive field, including teams from the Big Ten (Michigan and Purdue), Big 12 (UCF), and SEC (Georgia). Illinois State aims to replicate its strong performance from last year.

The tournament will take place on Sunday, September 1, and Monday, September 2, at Sage Run Golf Course. The course is a par-72 with a yardage of 7,375. Live scoring will be available through Scoreboard Powered by Clippd.

Participating teams include South Dakota State, Georgia, Central Florida, Purdue, Michigan, Miami (OH), North Texas, Boise State, Illinois State, VCU, St. Mary's (CA), and Northern Illinois.

The Redbird lineup for the event includes Alex McCulla, TJ Barger, Will Troy, Pietro Pontiggia, Maxence Faucquez with Jack Paeglow competing as an individual.

Over the past two seasons at this event—now in its third year—the Redbirds have seen significant success. In 2022 they secured first place out of 13 schools. Last season they finished second out of 11 teams with rounds of 278, 280, and 281 totaling an impressive score of 839—25 strokes under par. This was the third-lowest tournament score in program history. Individually Alex McCulla earned medalist honors last season with a score of 199 (64-65-70), becoming the first golfer in program history to score under 200. Will Troy scored a two-under 214 (72-75-67) while TJ Barger finished one shot over par.

Sage Run Golf Course is noted for its dramatic views and challenging layout. Ranked among Golf Digest's America's Best New Courses, it features long holes interspersed with creative short par fours lined with fescue grasses and strategic bunkering.

For more information on Illinois State Athletics tickets and other services visit GoRedbirds.com or use the Illinois State Redbirds App.