McLean County Times

Mar 28, 2025

AIKEN, S.C. – Led by Morgan Jones, the Illinois State women's golf team is in fourth place after the first round of the 2025 More Than Golf Invitational. Jones achieved a three-under-par 70, positioning her in a tie for second on the par-73 course.

Jinyoung Yun, another member of the Illinois State University (ISU) team, opened with a round of 76, tying her for 19th place. The team achieved a cumulative score of 304, or 12 over par, placing them in a competitive field. Georgia Southern, currently ranked 36th nationally, leads the tournament with an opening score of 294. Dartmouth is second with 297 and Delaware is third with 303, just ahead of ISU. The tournament consists of 12 schools in total.

Jones had a notable start to her round with four birdies within her first nine holes, reaching four under par at the turn. However, her performance dipped slightly on the back nine, leaving her one under par before concluding with four pars and two more birdies.

Yun commenced her round with two birdies within the initial three holes, finishing the front nine at one under par. Despite encountering two double bogeys early on the back nine, she ended with six pars to conclude with a score of 76.

Lory Paradis and Elise Fennell started their tournament with scores of 79 (+6). Paradis included four birdies and six pars, while Fennell achieved three birdies and seven pars. Competing individually, Alex Sparrow carded an 80, tying for 37th with one birdie and 11 pars. Jessica Jolly also participated, marking one birdie and five pars in the opening round.

The Redbirds are set to tee off the second round at 7:30 a.m. (CT), playing alongside Kennesaw State and Charleston Southern in this three-round tournament.