COAL VALLEY, Ill. – Behind a MVC Championship-tying round of 65 (-6) from Felix van Dijk, and the lowest single-round team score at the MVC Championship over the last 25 seasons, the Illinois State Redbirds lead the field of 10 schools after the first of three days at the 2023 conference Championship.
ISU's opening-round 276 is tied for the fifth-lowest single-round in program history, while the 65 by van Dijk – the reigning MVC Golfer of the Week – is tied for the fourth-best single-round in Redbird men's golf history.
Despite the Redbirds' low round, ISU stands just three shots ahead of Valparaiso, who opened the tournament with a 279, tied for the second-lowest single-round at the MVC Championship over the same era.