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 team, ranked 16th nationally, displayed moments of strong performance during the initial two rounds of The Johnnie-O at Sea Island on Monday. However, inconsistent play affected their standing as they concluded Round 2 at the Plantation Course in sixth place.
"It was a very inconsistent day; we had some good streaks, and quite a few bad streaks," stated head coach Mike Small. "It was disappointing to see how we closed out the second round because that is usually a time when we shine after being on the course all day and closing out a round. Tomorrow we have got to come out and establish our mindset and our grind early."
Leading the Illini is fifth-year player Tyler Goeke, who holds seventh place with a score of 139 (-5) over 36 holes. Despite starting with a double-bogey on No. 4 in Round 1, Goeke made eight birdies and one bogey across his last 27 holes. His Round 2 score of 68 (-4) was among the day's best performances.
Junior Jackson Buchanan began with an impressive 67 (-5) in Round 1, positioning him second after the first round. He advanced to six-under following an Eagle on No. 8 but finished four-over in his last ten holes, placing him tied for 15th at an overall score of 142 (-2).
Freshman Max Herendeen and Sophomore Ryan Voois both recorded scores of 145 (+1), tying them for 29th place. Their contributions were consistent across both rounds with matching scores in each round. Fifth-year Timmy Crawford stands tied for 63rd after posting scores of 75 and 74.
The team collectively scored six-under with a total of 570 over two rounds, trailing Notre Dame by thirteen strokes. Cincinnati is second at fourteen-under, followed by Michigan State and Texas tied for third at thirteen-under.
In individual play at Sea Palms Course, Senior Piercen Hunt sits fourth at one-under after improving from an opening round of 74 to a second-round score of 67. Freshman Ethan Wilson follows closely in fifth place at +1, while Jerry Ji is tied for sixth at +2.
Round three begins Tuesday morning with Illinois paired alongside UNCG and UT starting from Hole One.
For more updates on Fighting Illini men's golf news visit FightingIllini.com or follow @IlliniMGolf on social media platforms.
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