Missouri Valley Conference Golf Tournament

SIU Leads the Team Standings

(Monroe County, IL) – During a picture-perfect day for golf, Southern Illinois takes the first round lead of the Missouri Valley Conference golf tournament. The Salukis shot a team score of five under par, led by co-individual leader Anthony De Schutter.

Evansville’s Omar Khalid and De Schutter fired matching, six-under par, 65s during the opening round. De Schutter’s bogey on 18 created the tie. Khalid birdied the first five holes of the back nine, then bogeyed hole 15. He then parred his way in for a 32 back nine score. De Schutter recorded an other-worldly 30 on the front nine.

Illinois State’s Francis Bautista eagled number five on his way to join Murray State’s Lennon Albans and SIU’s Ben Keil at four under.

Northern Iowa’s Tanner Dinnebier (-3), Bradley’s Quinn Cox and Drake’s Luke Bohmer (each one under) were the tournament’s other players to shoot under par. Cox eagled number eleven.

The Valley’s top ranked player (279 nationally) Illinois State’s T.J. Barger, is even par and last year’s individual winner, Murray State’s Trey Wall is plus three. There are two days of competition left, the Valley’s top ten regular season scoring leaders are all in the hunt. Keil is the MVC’s third ranked golfer and none of the other top ten players are worse than three over par.

SIU leads Murray State (two under) and Illinois State (one under) as the three teams, of the nine in the field to better par.

Start times have moved up for Tuesday’s second round. Rain is expected throughout the day and on this hilly and demanding course, it could affect scoring. Five groups of three golfers will tee off at 8:30 on the back nine. The other ten three-somes begin at the first hole at that same 8:30 a.m time.

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