Chambana Sun

The Illinois men's golf team, ranked 18th nationally in NCAA Division I and 17th in the GCAA Coaches Top-25, is set to host the second-annual Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate tournament. The event will take place at Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois on April 20-21. This marks the team's final regular-season competition before heading into the 2024 postseason.

The tournament will be held at Atkins Golf Club, a course gifted by the Atkins Family to the University of Illinois and enhanced with renovations led by architect Drew Rogers. The course now features rebuilt greens and bunkers, along with extended yardage exceeding 7,500 yards, offering a challenging environment for collegiate players.

The format for this year's tournament consists of a 54-hole competition using a five-count-four system over two days. Play begins with continuous rounds on Saturday starting at 7:30 a.m., followed by Sunday's final round beginning at 8 a.m.

Twelve programs are competing in this event, including three Big Ten teams: Northwestern (ranked No. 39), Michigan State (No. 81), and Michigan (No. 89). Other top contenders include Toledo (No. 94), Ball State (No. 104), Marquette (No. 109), UC San Diego (No. 165), Butler (No. 175), South Dakota (No. 226), DePaul (No. 234), and Loyola Chicago (No. 235).

Illinois' lineup for the event includes Jackson Buchanan as No.1, followed by Ryan Voois, Max Herendeen, Tyler Goecke, Ethan Wilson, with Timmy Crawford, Piercen Hunt, and Jerry Ji competing as individuals.

Live scoring will be accessible through Golfstat during the tournament days with recaps available on FightingIllini.com after each day's play.

This year's event follows last year's inaugural tournament where Illinois claimed victory with Adrien Dumont de Chassart leading as medalist before turning professional.

Looking ahead to their next challenge, the team will participate in the Big Ten Men's Golf Championship from April 26-28 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.