Chambana Sun

The Fighting Illini men's golf team secured a fifth-place finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas. The team's performance was bolstered by top-25 finishes from players Tyler Goecke, Max Herendeen, and Jackson Buchanan.

"It was an up and down week with our play, but it was a big positive that after a tough stretch today, we showed some resolve on the back nine and finished off the tournament with some strength," said head coach Mike Small. "We need to take this solid finish in a big tournament and use it to build momentum and continue to evolve into a good team."

Tyler Goecke led the Illini with a tie for 12th place, finishing just one stroke shy of his second consecutive top-10 finish. He was the only Illini player to end under par for the week with an even-par 72 in the final round, totaling 215 (-1) over three rounds.

Freshman Max Herendeen's closing round of 71 (-1) elevated him seven spots into a tie for 15th place with an even-par total of 216. Junior Jackson Buchanan made significant progress on Tuesday with a round of 70 (-2), including three birdies over his last five holes. This moved him up 22 spots into a tie for 21st place at 218 (+2).

Sophomore Ryan Voois completed his rounds with a score of 220 (+4), tying for 34th position in the field. Senior Piercen Hunt achieved his lowest score of the tournament on Tuesday with a round of 76 (+4), concluding tied for 77th at 234 (+18).

Ranked No.16 by the GCAA Coaches poll and No.20 in NCAA Division I rankings, Illinois faced strong competition among teams ranked within the top 50 NCAA metric. The team's fifth-place result included victories over several higher-ranked opponents such as No.1 North Carolina (7th) and No.4 Arizona State (14th).

The tournament was won by No.15 Oklahoma at eight-under-par, followed by No.2 Auburn at five-under-par. Florida's Ian Gilligan emerged as medalist winner with an overall score of 208 (-8), earning an exemption to compete in October's PGA Tour Shriners Children's Open.

Looking ahead, Illinois will participate in The Johnnie-O at Sea Island event hosted by Rutgers from March 11-12 in St. Simons Island, Georgia, followed by an exhibition match against Texas on March 14 at Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, South Carolina.