Eric Gilpin Assistant Coach & Director of Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Eric Gilpin Assistant Coach & Director of Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
The Fighting Illini men's golf program, ranked No. 9 in the preseason Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll, will commence the 2024-25 season from Monday to Wednesday, Sept. 9-11, at the Folds of Honor Collegiate. The event is co-hosted by Folds of Honor, Michigan State, Florida State, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), and HNS Sports Group at American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Michigan.
The Folds of Honor Collegiate is a unique collegiate event with proceeds supporting Folds of Honor's mission to provide educational scholarships to children and spouses of fallen and disabled military personnel and first responders. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has provided nearly 54,000 educational scholarships worth close to $250 million.
The tournament will be held at the Par-72, 7,213-yard American Dunes Golf Club. Designed by Jack Nicklaus as a tribute to the military and commemorating the birthplace of Folds of Honor, the course features dramatic local topography and generous rolling fairways.
The 54-hole tournament includes both men's and women's fields over three days with each day featuring 18 holes. Men's tee times for Round 1 on Monday and Round 3 on Wednesday are set to begin at 11 a.m. CT. Tuesday's second round will start with men's tee times at 6:30 a.m. CT.
The men's field comprises 15 programs including five that qualified for the 2024 NCAA Championship: No. 3 Florida State, No. 9 Illinois, Notre Dame, No. 22 Ohio State, and No. 8 Texas. The field also includes Air Force, Army, Navy, No. 16 Alabama, No.17 Arkansas, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, and NCAA Division II Championship qualifier Grand Valley State.
Illinois' lineup features Max Herendeen (No.1), Jackson Buchanan (No.2), Ryan Voois (No.3), Trey Marrion (No.4), and Ethan Wilson (No.5). This marks Illinois' second appearance in this event; they won the inaugural tournament in 2022 led by then-sophomore Jackson Buchanan.
Live scoring for the event will be available via Scoreboard powered by Clippd with recaps posted on FightingIllini.com following each day’s play.
Golf Channel coverage is scheduled for each day: Monday and Wednesday from 2:30-6:30 p.m., and Tuesday from 8:30-11:30 a.m., all Central Time.
Following this event, Illinois will host the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational from Sept.20-22 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
For more news on Fighting Illini men's golf follow @IlliniMGolf on social media or visit FightingIllini.com.
Alerts Sign-up