Chambana Sun

Three Fighting Illini men's golfers were recognized by the Big Ten on Thursday when senior Jackson Buchanan, sophomore Max Herendeen, and junior Ryan Voois were named to the conference's 2024-25 Preseason Honors list.

The trio return to the Fighting Illini after All-America seasons in 2023-24 in which they helped the Orange and Blue capture six stroke play titles. The Illini's stable of wins included the NCAA Stanford Regional title and first place in Stroke Play at the NCAA Championship. The latter qualified the Illini for the program's ninth NCAA match play berth, tied for the most in the nation since the current championship format was adopted in 2009.

The preseason recognitions are the latest for the Illini after Buchanan and Herendeen were also recognized earlier this month with Preseason All-America nods from Golfweek and Golf Channel and were both named to the Haskins Award Fall Watch List.

Buchanan enters his senior season ranked No. 6 in the initial PGA TOUR University Class of 2025 rankings released July 31. He was tabbed as the 2024 Big Ten Men's Golfer of the Year and was also a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection last season while collecting GCAA All-America third team honors. He competed in all 13 of the team's stroke play events last year and closed the season five hundredths of a point (two total strokes) behind Herendeen with the Illini's second-best stroke average of 70.92. Buchanan was runner-up at the Big Ten Championship after claiming medalist honors at a team-leading two events – the Purdue Fall Invitational and the Duck Invitational – during the regular season. Overall, Buchanan posted a team-most eight top-10 finishes. He tied for the team lead with 12 sub-70 rounds on the year and ranked second on the squad with 20 rounds of par or better.

Over the summer, Buchanan competed in the U.S. Open and at PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, in addition to his appearance on Korn Ferry Tour at Memorial Health Championship and a run to semifinal round of match play at U.S. Amateur.

As a true freshman last season, Herendeen became just fourth freshman in Illinois history to earn All-America honors from GCAA (second team), and first to be named to second team or better. He played in every event in Fighting Illini lineup and opened year with runner-up finish (via playoff for medalist honors) at Sahalee Players Championship in his collegiate debut. He closed his first season of collegiate golf in spectacular fashion, winning NCAA Stanford Regional for first victory of his collegiate career, then placing second by one shot in stroke play at NCAA Championship. He led team with stroke average of 70.87, tenth-best single-season mark in program history and best average ever recorded by an Illini freshman, surpassing Adrien Dumont de Chassart's mark of 71.39 set by him in 2018-19. Herendeen led team with ten tournaments as Illinois' No.1 or No.2 finisher and paced Illini with top-20 finishes in twelve out of thirteen stroke play events. He ended year with team-most twenty-four rounds of par or better and tied for team lead with twelve rounds in sixties.

Herendeen's summer included top-ten finishes at Sunnehanna Amateur (5th), Washington State Amateur Championship (2nd), and Western Amateur Championship (9th).

Voois enjoyed breakout sophomore campaign last season that also included first win of his collegiate career at Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate, team's final tournament of regular-season schedule. He earned GCAA All-America honorable mention and second-team All-Big Ten honors, playing all thirteen team's stroke play events, twelve being part lineup In addition to his win Voois led Illini as team's top finisher Flyer Invitational (T4) October Hal Williams Collegiate February During postseason he posted tie tenth NCAA Stanford Regional tied eleventh NCAA Championship earn spot fifteen-member All-Championship Team Voois ranked fifth on team stroke average seventy-one sixty-three third rounds sixties eighteen

Over summer Voois finished seventeenth North South Amateur Championship seventh Pacific Coast Amateur while joining Buchanan Herendeen field U S Amateur Championship

Illini opened twenty-four twenty-five schedule week runner-up finish Folds Honor Collegiate Team now prepares host one nation's premier collegiate events eighteenth annual OFCC/Fighting Invitational Sept twenty-twenty-two famed Olympia Fields Country Club