Eric Gilpin Assistant Coach & Director of Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Eric Gilpin Assistant Coach & Director of Operations | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Illinois sophomore Max Herendeen delivered an impressive performance at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate, tying both the course record and his career low with a final round of 63 (-7) at the Ocean Course at Hokuala. This effort propelled the No. 10 Fighting Illini to a fifth-place finish in the tournament.
Herendeen's strong play was crucial in achieving a 5-under team score for Illinois in Round 3, allowing them to climb two spots on the leaderboard and conclude with a total score of 837 (-3). Herendeen advanced 24 positions on the individual leaderboard, marking his third consecutive top-10 finish and fourth overall since last fall. His round matched his best collegiate score from last year's NCAA Stanford Regional.
Alongside Herendeen, senior Jackson Buchanan and sophomore Ethan Wilson also secured top-10 finishes. Buchanan ended tied for eighth after rounds of 66 (-4), followed by two rounds of 70, achieving his 21st career top-10 finish. Wilson, competing as an individual, recorded under-par scores of 67 (-3) and 69 (-1) following an opening round of 70. His second-round score marked a season low, contributing to a new career-low total of 206 (-4).
Junior Ryan Voois matched Wilson's final round with a score of 69 (-1), finishing tied for 25th at even par (210). This marks Voois' fifth top-25 finish in six events this season.
Freshmen Trey Marrion and Jake Birdwell concluded their participation with identical scores of 73 (+3) on Saturday. Marrion finished the week at seven-over par, while Birdwell's three-round total was twelve-over par (222). Joseph Buttress, another individual competitor from Illinois, placed 101st with a total score of +27 (237).
The team title was shared by No.16 Utah and No.41 UNLV at -22. Santa Clara secured third place at -10, while No.39 Long Beach State took fourth place just ahead of Illinois, who tied for fifth alongside No.20 San Diego State and No.26 Texas A&M.
Looking ahead, Illinois will compete in the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas from March 2-4. The event is hosted by UNLV and features strong competition on a challenging course.
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