Chambana Sun

Fighting Illini men's golfer Max Herendeen has been recognized as one of the top five first-year players nationally by being named to the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-Freshman Team.

Herendeen, who hails from Bellevue, Washington, has had a notable season, earning GCAA PING All-Midwest Region honors and being unanimously selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first team All-Big Ten. His postseason performance was impressive, with a victory at the NCAA Stanford Regional and a tie for second place in stroke play at the NCAA Division I Championship. Additionally, he secured a decisive win in his match during the NCAA Championship match play quarterfinals against Georgia Tech's Carson Kim.

Throughout the season, Herendeen participated in every event for the Fighting Illini lineup. He began his collegiate career with a runner-up finish at the Sahalee Players Championship. He achieved a stroke average of 70.87, which is not only the 10th-best single-season mark in program history but also surpasses Adrien Dumont de Chassart's freshman record set in 2018-19. Herendeen consistently led his team, finishing as Illinois' No. 1 or No. 2 player in ten tournaments and achieving top-20 finishes in twelve out of thirteen stroke play events. He completed the year with twenty-four rounds of par or better and tied for leading twelve rounds in the 60s.

Joining Herendeen on the 2024 GCAA All-Freshman Team are Ryder Cowan from Oklahoma, Wenyi Ding from Arizona State, Jackson Koivun from Auburn, and Jack Turner from Florida.