Baylor MGOLF Finishes 14th as Darkness Falls at the Fighting Illini Invitational

[Roberts, Matt]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS- Sept. 21, 2024

Baylor MGOLF Finishes 14th as Darkness Falls at the Fighting Illini Invitational
BU’s Heffernan shoots a 4-under 66 in the final round
For more information, contact Matt Roberts, 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at Baylor.edu>

OLYMPIA Fields, Ill. – With one group still on the course, The Fighting Illini was suspended for darkness on Saturday night, leaving Baylor in 14th place.

With rain threatening to wash out Sunday, the teams attempted to play 36 holes on Saturday, and they got within one group of getting everyone through. Baylor did, however, complete its third round, with Zach Heffernan leading the way for the Bears with a 1-over 211 to end the day in 21st. At the time of suspension, Arizona State’s Jose Luis Ballester led by one shot over Georgia Tech’s Benjamin Reuter, with both needing to finish the final round.

Georgia Tech leads Arizona State by two shots when the teams resume play on Sunday morning.

THE RUNDOWN
Second Round
Heffernan battled his way to a 3-over 38 on his opening nine with four pars, two birdies, two bogeys and a triple-bogey at No. 18. The senior settled in on his second nine with a bogey-free front side and birdies at Nos. 1 and 4 for a 1-over 71.

Jonas Appel continued his steady play in round two with a 1-over 36 on his outward nine, featuring a birdie at No. 11 and bogeys at Nos. 12 and 17. His inward nine consisted of eight pars and a bogey at No. 7 for a 1-over 36.

Vincent Stjernfeldt continued his steady play in his first appearance in the BU lineup with a 3-over 73 in round two. After playing his first seven holes at 4-over, the freshman birdied No. 17 to make the turn at 3-over. He played a steady inward half with a bogey at No. 6 but a bounce-back birdie at No. 7.

Drew Wrightson improved by five shots from his first round with a 3-over 73 on Saturday morning. A bogey at No. 14 and a double-bogey at No. 15 put him at 3-over through seven holes. The junior responded, though, playing his final 12 holes at even par with a birdie at No. 1 and bogey at No. 9.

Davis Ovard shot a 9-over 79 in round two on Saturday morning. He rebounded from a bogey on his opening hole of the day with three-straight birdies to get to 2-under. From that point, he played his final 14 holes at 11-over.

Final Round
Heffernan tied his career-best round with a final-round 66 on Saturday afternoon. He started strong with a 3-under 32 on his opening nine. He pushed his round to 5-under with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 1 and 2, ahead of his first bogey of the round at No. 3. He bounced back with a birdie at No. 5 but finished with a bogey at No. 8 to close the day at 4-under.

Jonas Appel finished his weekend in a tie for 48th after a 5-over 75 in the final round. He played his first five holes at 5-over par but carded a birdie before the turn at No. 15. Appel finished the weekend with a pair of bogeys at Nos. 5 and 7.

Vincent Stjernfeldt was tied for 65th at the time of suspension in his career-first event as a member of the Baylor lineup. On the heels of a couple of early bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13, he bounced back with a birdie at No. 15 to make the turn at 1-over. He finished the weekend with a 4-over 39 on his second nine.

Davis Ovard finished 76th at the time of the suspension. The sophomore shot a 4-over 39 on his first nine, improving by a shot on his second nine with a 3-over 38.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Heffernan now has eight rounds in the 60s in his career, including a 67 or better in two of the last four events
  *   Heffernan finished his weekend with the second-best par-5 scoring average (4.33).
  *   Appel’s 40 pars tied for the third most in the field at the time of suspension

WHAT’S NEXT
The Bears will compete in the Big 12 Match Play, Oct. 7-9, at the Clubs at Houston Oaks in Hockley, Texas. For more information on Baylor Men’s Golf, follow @BaylorMGolf on X, Instagram and Facebook.

—BaylorBears.com—



Matt Roberts | Director of Athletic Communications (MBB/MGOLF/ WGOLF)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-227-2280
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