McLean County Times

The Illinois State men's golf team secured a runner-up finish at the 2025 Badger Invitational, which took place at TPC Wisconsin in Madison. The Redbirds posted a final-round score of 279, moving up two places on the leaderboard to finish with a total of 13-under 851, marking the 17th-lowest team tournament score in the program's history.

Freshman Sam Ottwell led Illinois State in the final round with a five-under 67. This performance ties for the second-lowest freshman round in school history, only behind Tyler Gentilella’s 65 at the NYX Hoosier Invitational during the 2012-13 season. Ottwell’s three-round total of 212 (-4) is tied for sixth-best among freshmen at Illinois State and ranks as the third-lowest freshman debut score in school records.

Southern Miss won the event with a combined score of 841 over three rounds. Illinois State and Southern Illinois both finished with scores of 851. Other teams included Toledo (859), Northern Illinois (861), VCU (864), Xavier (868), UTSA (871), Oakland (872), Minnesota (872), Wisconsin (883), Green Bay (894), DePaul (896), and Valparaiso (904).

Senior TJ Barger shot a final-round 69 to complete the tournament at eight-under-par 208, tying for the 22nd-lowest individual tournament score in school history. He was under par each day and made four birdies and thirteen pars in his last round. His total of fifteen birdies tied for second-most in this year’s field.

Ottwell finished seventh overall in his collegiate debut, recording six birdies and eleven pars during his closing round.

Sophomore Max Faucquez recorded even-par rounds before finishing with a one-under 71 on the final day, ending tied for fourteenth place. Faucquez averaged a tournament-best par-four scoring average of 3.83 and had forty pars over three rounds, tying him for fourth-most.

Senior Pietro Pontiggia posted rounds of 73, 72, and another even-par-72 to close out play at one-over-par 217, tying for nineteenth place overall. Pontiggia made fifteen birdies throughout the tournament.

Gonzalo Cuellar registered his best round on the last day with an even-par-72 to finish tied for sixty-sixth at 226. Competing as individuals, Francis Bautista scored a total of 225 to tie for sixty-second place while Aiden Cudney finished eighty-fourth with a score of 239.

Illinois State will compete next at the Purdue Fall Invitational at Kampen-Cosler Course in West Lafayette, Indiana on October 13.