Faucquez Leads Illinois State to 13th-Place Finish at Badger Invitational

Image courtesy of Illinois State Athletics

MADISON, Wis. — Illinois State showed steady improvement throughout the three-day tournament and received another strong performance from junior Max Faucquez as the Redbirds finished 13th at the 2026 Badger Invitational on Tuesday.

After opening the tournament in 16th place, Illinois State climbed three spots over the final 36 holes and closed with a 54-hole team score of 880 in the 19-team field.

Southern Miss claimed the tournament title at 841, followed by South Dakota State at 847, while Western Kentucky and Wisconsin tied for third at 855.

Faucquez paced the Redbirds from start to finish, turning in rounds of 73, 71 and 73 to finish at 1-over-par for the tournament and tied for 23rd individually.

The junior opened the event with a strong finish, recording three birdies and four pars over his final seven holes on Sunday.

He followed with one of Illinois State’s best rounds of the week on Monday, carding a 1-under 71 behind four birdies and 11 pars to move up the leaderboard.

In Tuesday’s final round, Faucquez added three more birdies while making 11 pars on the way to a 1-over 73.

He also excelled on the course’s par-3 holes throughout the tournament, finishing with a 2.87 scoring average, tied for the second-best mark in the field.

Fernando Cobo Delgado and Gonzalo Cuellar provided consistency throughout the tournament, finishing tied for 38th overall at 3-over-par for Illinois State.

Cobo Delgado opened with a 74, matched Faucquez with a 1-under 71 in the second round and closed with a 2-over 74. The sophomore totaled 12 birdies during the event, including five in the final round.

Cuellar was equally steady, posting scores of 74, 72 and 73. He recorded 10 birdies over three rounds and capped the tournament with four birdies and 10 pars on Tuesday.

His even-par 72 during Monday’s second round helped fuel Illinois State’s move up the team standings.

The Redbirds made their biggest jump during the second round when they shot 290 as a team. Faucquez and Cobo Delgado each broke par with 71s, while Cuellar added an even-par 72 and Sam Ottwell contributed a 1-over 73.

That performance moved Illinois State from 16th to 13th heading into the final day.

Ottwell finished the tournament tied for 88th. His second round highlighted the week, as he carded five birdies in a 1-over 73 after closing the opening round with a birdie on his final hole.

Gabriele Bravin rounded out the scoring lineup and saved his best golf for the final day. After rounds of 81 and 77, Bravin fired a 2-over 74 on Tuesday with three birdies and 10 pars to tie for 93rd overall.

His final-round score counted toward a balanced Illinois State effort that saw four Redbirds shoot 74 or better in the tournament finale.

While the team competed at University Ridge Golf Course, three additional Redbirds played in the Goat Hill Individual Championship across town.

Rayden Tee led the group with a three-round score of 218, tying for 15th after shooting even-par rounds in each of the final two days.

Aiden Cudney tied for 20th at 221, highlighted by an impressive second-round 69, while Beau Eftink placed 28th in his collegiate debut and provided one of Illinois State’s memorable moments of the week, opening the tournament with an eagle on his first collegiate hole.

The Badger Invitational marked a week of growth for the Redbirds, who improved their standing over the final two rounds and placed three golfers inside the top 40 individually.

Looking to build on that growth, Illinois State returns to competition next week at the Kemper Lakes Invitational in Kildeer, Illinois.

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