Chambana Sun

The Illinois men's golf team has advanced to the fourth round of the NCAA Men's Golf Championship, taking the lead at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. The team recorded a 6-under 282 in Round 3, surpassing Virginia and placing themselves at the top of the leaderboard as competition narrows to 15 teams and nine individuals for Monday's final stroke play.

Coach Mike Small expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, stating, "I think every team gets a little better and learns the golf course; every round you play you continue to learn about this place." He added that despite some challenges with par-fives, their play on par-threes was strong. The Illini finished six-under on the back nine, which helped them overcome Virginia's previous three-shot lead.

Illinois improved from a 5-over in Round 1 to a 1-under in Round 2 before their impressive finish on Sunday. They are now well-positioned for match play starting Tuesday, leading by 23 shots over Arizona and Georgia Tech.

Freshman Max Herendeen is tied for fourth place individually at 214 (-2), while senior Tyler Goecke is tied for seventh at 215 (-1). Both are contenders for what could be Illinois' third individual NCAA championship under Coach Small. Ohio State's Adam Wallin currently leads individually with a score of 211 (-5).

Since Coach Small began leading Illinois in the 2000-01 season, only Illinois, Oklahoma State, and Florida have produced multiple individual NCAA champions.

In Round 3, Goecke led with a score of 69 (-3), overcoming early bogeys to finish strong. Herendeen ended his day with a score of 71 (-1), improving significantly after initial setbacks. Senior Piercen Hunt rebounded from earlier struggles with a solid performance that included four birdies.

Junior Jackson Buchanan also showed improvement with an even-par finish that moved him up in standings. Sophomore Ryan Voois maintained consistency throughout his round and is close to breaking into the top twenty individually.

Behind Illinois' current lead are Virginia (+4), Vanderbilt (+9), Florida State (+10), Ohio State (+13), North Carolina (+15), Auburn (+15), and Florida (+20). These teams will start within Monday's cutline for match play.

Coach Small emphasized focusing on their own game plan: "(We need to) play Illinois golf tomorrow... If we control our space, we will be okay."

Round Four begins at different times depending on time zones; live scoring can be followed online through Golfstat.com while television coverage will be provided by GOLF Channel during specific hours.