I’m curious to see if anyone birdies 2 all weekend. it’s such a tough hole. I play atkins all the time from the whites mostly and only have 2 birdies on it. Lots of 6s+ though.
Illinois Golf 2023-24
Does the play in this tournament determine our starting lineup in the Big ten Tournament?
It could. Mike Small is always changing the lineups if he feels it’s the right decision.
Tough question for outsiders. Just about answerable. Can't always go by lowest scoring averages. Don't mean to be cute, but only Coach Small knows.
Tournament should be interesting. Jack Nicklaus country, Scioto his boyhood course, and Ohio State. Hope Big 10 network has decent coverage (they usually tape it and telecast a week or two later, it seems).
This weekend, beat Barlow! Just kidding: he was a great Illini.
We should all pick our team of five for grins and see how we match up against Coach Small.
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Michigan is so far vastly improved this year from last year that’s nice to see. Holy crap Ryan lighting up the course today.
Maybe! Tyler will need to bounce back to keep his spot I think. What a rough outing.
Girls had a bit better round 2. Sy had another good round as did li. Just a few crooked numbers killed them.
I do not envy being mike small and deciding who gets the last 2 spots. I think hunt should be one. Even with his struggles this year, he gives you the highest upside and we need a guy like that. But i get why he’s not currently part of the 5. Any of Wilson, goecke, Crawford, or ji can get the spots though.
Good finish for the team. Lead should grow as the teams still have plenty of tough holes to go. Hope Jackson catching fire can carry on into tomorrow
What else can you tell us about Atkins? Front nine harder than back or vice versa?
Glad Illinois has a big lead. I don't really understand the "high" scores. Got to be there, I guess. Just the weather?
Weather down your way is very similar to Rockford area: cool, a bit windy. Same for tomorrow. Maybe a frost delay for final round? Freeze warning here tonight.
Thanks.
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Thanks. Yes, Atkins looks wide open. No real windbreaks that I can see.
More power to Illini and that 14-shot lead.
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Correct and it’s always windy there in the spring and mostly in the fall. Summer can have some nice easy days to play. It was also cold ish but the wind is the bigger factor.
Yes I should update everyone. Tomorrow will have a hour later start time because of the frost delay. Meaning tee times start at 9am and Illinois should start roughly at 10:15/30
Yea it’s the weather and the course is so so hard. Also just not an insane field talent wise just pretty good. https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=27746
This was the score board last year. ADDC tore it up one round and Svard did good too. This year it’s Ryan having one insane round and max doing well. But it’s a tough course last year it was 40-50 degrees sleeting and windy. This year 50-55 degrees super windy and the course plays long.
Sure I can help talk about it. Atkins is tough because like others mentioned it’s often windy. Greens are tough like most pga level greens will be. But the bunkers are well maintained so they play well and the greens roll true. The par 5s are reachable in 2 but they’re tough to reach in 2 and you can be in trouble off the tee for sure on 6/15. 11 is a par 5 they play as a par 4. It’s so hard to hit the green and keep it on there if there’s wind that’s why it plays so hard, the shot is over water. You can lay up and have an easy 100 yard shot into green but then these guys do that they’re putting for par (that’s what small has them do sometimes). The par 3s are all insanely hard besides 13 really with tough narrow greens and water on 9. The tee boxes were moved forward on 17/9/11 because with the wind it’s too hard to play. 10 is so interesting, it’s easy from white/blue but the orange tees are way further back and to the right, meaning you have a narrow window, if you hit it too far left you’re in bunker/buried around trees hit it right and you’re in water maybe. It plays so hard from Orange. 2 is so hard cause the fairway doglegs left but you can’t hit it that far and the green and hole curves right and so if you aim for fairway your 2nd shot is a 180-200 yard shot over water onto a narrow green with bunkers around it. Can’t go short cause of water and if you go too long it rolls off green, you have to either hit it left off tee into rough and then straight shot into green or draw it right from fairway. Slice the tee shot a little you’re screwed. 3 is a drivable par 4 with a big green/play up area but there is a little water. Easy hole most bogies find the water on the tee shot. 5/7/8/12/14/18 are nothing special normal par 4s some have water greens aren’t too bad but again not easy with wind and it’s hard to play well consistently. Some have water/hazards where you can spiral quick and get into trouble. 16 sucks it’s a devil hole. Small green that slopes back. Bunker in front of green. Little run up to the green on the front right side. There’s a massive ditch in the middle of the hole so you can’t carry the ditch with driver and have to lay up (unless it’s a huge downwind behind you). So you lay up and have a 170 yard shot into a green and unless you hit your tee shot perfectly to the far right side of the fairway avoiding the rough/hazards over there you have to draw it into the fairway. And it’s so hard to keep it on the green. Hardest holes for these guys are going to be 2/10/11/16 and with the wind 9/4. 1/3/6/15/18/12/13 will be the scoring holes mostly. The other ones can be hit or miss depending on weather and pin location. 17 can be scoring or bad depending on pin and weather.
I think scores will be better today? About the same temp maybe warmer but wind is a bit less and they got to rest last night and come out after a frost and get some sleep/4th time playing the course in 3 days.
Feel bad for Tyler. What a brutal event he can’t play next weekend though.
So pick two to play in the BTT - Timmy, Pierce, Tyler, or Ethan. I'm gonna go with the first two.
Jerry is available too. But yea I’d pick the first two. Ethan is only a freshman though bright future. This team next year might return everyone I think.
We’re finishing terribly but still going to have an easy win. Just not as well played as last year. Jackson had a great round until the last 3 holes and he blew up.