Chambana Sun

The Fighting Illini men's golf team, ranked No. 16 in the NCAA Division I team rankings, is preparing for the 2024 NCAA Championship from May 24-29 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. The Illini secured their place in this championship by winning the NCAA Stanford Regional held from May 13-15. This victory marked the program's 30th appearance at the NCAA Championship.

Head coach Mike Small has led Illinois to its 17th NCAA Championship under his guidance, with appearances in 15 of the last 16 tournaments since 2008. "Since Small took the reins of his alma mater prior to the 2000-01 season, nearly 90 percent of the Illini's postseason runs have resulted in advancing to the NCAA Championship," states a release.

The tournament will unfold over six days, starting with four rounds of stroke play to determine individual champions and finalists. Following these rounds, eight teams will proceed to match play quarterfinals on Tuesday morning. Semifinals are set for Tuesday afternoon with finals scheduled for Wednesday.

The event is hosted by Texas Longhorns and features a field comprising top-five finishers from six regional sites. The Illini enter as the No. 11 seed after defeating notable teams such as Florida State and Texas A&M during regionals.

"Illinois' best team postseason finish came under Small in 2013 when they finished as national runner-up," noted the release, highlighting past achievements under Small's leadership.

Live scoring will be available on GolfStat.com throughout both stroke and match play events, with live coverage provided by GOLF Channel starting May 27.

For more updates on Fighting Illini men's golf news, fans can visit FightingIllini.com or follow @IlliniMGolf on social media platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook.