JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. – The Illinois women’s golf team ended the first day of the Briar’s Creek Invitational in second after carding a 36-hole team total of 572 (-4).
The Illini were just one of two teams to finish the day under par and will enter Tuesday’s final round six strokes behind Michigan State. As a team, the Orange and Blue amassed the third-most birdies (31) and had the joint-lowest par 5 scoring (4.83, -7).
Isabel Sy is in second place at 7-under overall, hunting for her second-straight tournament victory and sixth-straight Top 5 finish. Sy went 5-under (67) to start the event and closed with a round of 2-under (70). The senior tallied a tournament-high 11 birdies, bogeying just four holes. The San Gabriel, Calif., native, shares the lowest par 4 scoring among the field (3.80, -4) and also shares the second-lowest par 3 scoring (2.75, -2).
Lexanne Halama is tied for seventh after rounds of 73 (+1) and 69 (-3). Halama’s second round score is the lowest of her season and the junior did not bogey a hole during that round. The Knoxville, Tenn., native, bogeyed just four holes during the day and went bogey-free in 22-straight holes. Halama’s 30 pars are tied for the most among the field and her par 4 scoring (3.90, -2) ranks tied-for-fourth lowest.
Yurang Li (T-22nd), competing in her third-career event, also finds herself in the Top 25 after posting rounds of 71 (-1) and 75 (+3).
Anna Ritter is tied for 27th after rounds of 73 (+1) and 74 (+2). Ritter’s par 5 scoring of -3 (4.63) was tied for third-lowest among the field.
Erica Lee is tied for 45th after posting rounds of 74 (+2) and 75 (+3). Lee also posted a par 5 scoring average of 4.63 (-3).
Sophia Sulkar, competing individually, is tied for 90th after rounds of 80 (+8) and 78 (+6).
Michigan State leads the field at 10-under (566), with the Spartans Katie Lu leading individually lead at 8-under.
The Fighting Illini will be back in action for tomorrow’s final round with a shotgun start at 7:45 a.m. CT.
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Illinois Athletics…