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Branson Creek Presents Challenge, Opportunity for Redbirds
March 29, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. - Coming off an eighth place finish at the Samford Intercollegiate, the Illinois State men's golf team will look to continue its recent recent strong play as it heads to Branson, Mo. to compete in the Branson Creek Invitational Monday-Tuesday, March 31-April 1, hosted by Missouri State at the par-71, 7,036 yard Branson Creek Golf Club. Illinois State will be joined in the 12-team field by six other Missouri Valley Conference teams including Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and host Missouri State. Head coach Ray Kralis sees Branson Creek as an opportunity for his team to get some momentum heading into State Farm MVC Championships, which are less than a month away (Monday-Tuesday, April 21-22). "I like the strong MVC representation at this event and I think we will stack up better against it now than we did in the fall," said Kralis. "A good finish here would be a great momentum builder as we get closer to the conference championship." The Redbirds will take seven competitors to Missouri, with five competing as a team and two other squad members competing individually. Junior Ben Murphy, redshirt sophomores Joe Emerich and Kyle Bragg, sophomore Tommy Bliefnick, and true freshman Jeff Kellen make up ISU's team lineup, while sophomore Drew Miller and true freshman Will Cullen will play as individuals. ISU, who won the Branson Creek Invitational last year, return four players who placed in the top-30, including Bliefnick, who tied for fifth while recording a three-round-total of 217 (68, 73, 76). Emerich, who tied for 22nd last year at Branson Creek, leads Illinois State in scoring this season with a 74.3 per-round average.
With such a familiar event, Kralis feels his team has an opportunity to repeat as champions of the 54-hole event. "We have been getting much better team efforts this spring", said Kralis. "I am looking to build on what we have been doing recently, and if we can stay in the present and in control of our minds and emotions, I believe we will have players competing for the title." Tee times for Branson Creek are scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start each day, with 36-holes being played Monday, and the final 18 holes being played Tuesday. |
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