HARRIS, Mich. – The Illinois State Redbirds open the 2022-23 men’s golf season on Sunday and Monday at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, hosted by South Dakota State University.
Event: Island Resort Intercollegiate
When: Sunday, September 4 – Monday, September 5
Where: Sage Run Golf Club, Harris, Mich.
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,375
Live Scoring: GolfStat.com
Participants (2022 Golfstat Ranking): Kentucky (62), Toledo (102), Michigan (118), Illinois State (125), Southern Illinois (158), South Dakota State (159), Valparaiso (160), North Dakota State (162), Miami (169 ), Bowling Green (213), Green Bay (268), Northern Michigan (152 – DII)
Redbird Lineup: Felix van Dijk, Valentin Peugnet, Will Troy, Alex McCulla, Parker Wisdom individual: Pietro Pontiggia
Last Time Out: The last time the Redbirds were in action was at the 2022 MVC Championship, where Illinois State took third of nine schools in the field. In the tournament, van Dijk was the team’s top finisher, tying for fourth place in the field, while then-freshman Alex McCulla tied for 10th behind a final round 69 (-3).
About the Golf Course: Sage Run, ranked among Golf Digest’s America’s Best New Courses, meanders through beautiful Upper Peninsula hardwoods and open vistas with very dramatic views. A natural drumlin, or elongated hill or ridge formed by glacial ice long ago, is the primary feature on Sage Run. A variety of golf holes meander off of and around the hill offering a scenic variety of shots creating a fun thrill ride for golfers. The challenging combination of long holes with creative short par fours lined with fescue grasses and strategic bunkering will challenge golfers of all abilities.
History at the Tournament: This is Illinois State’s first appearance in this tournament. For the Redbird program, it is their first tournament inside the state of Michigan since April 22-23, 1989 when the ‘Birds took fourth at the Men’s Spring Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University.