Ruben Sondjaja Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Ruben Sondjaja Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
The Illinois men's golf team, currently ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Division I team rankings and No. 11 in the GCAA's Bushnell/Golfweek coaches poll, is set to compete in the Southern Highlands Collegiate. This event, hosted by UNLV, will take place from March 2-4 at the Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas.
Illinois recently tied for fifth place at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate held in Lihu'e, Hawai'i, from February 13-15.
The tournament venue, Southern Highlands Golf Club, is a Par-72 course spanning 7,510 yards. It was co-designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and his son Robert Trent Jones Jr., featuring challenging terrain with elevation changes and bent grass greens.
The competition format will be a five-count-four over three days, with each day comprising 18 holes starting at 11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT from tees Nos. 1 and 10.
Fifteen top collegiate programs will participate in this year's event, including thirteen teams within the top 50 of the latest NCAA Division I team rankings. The field includes No. 2 Auburn, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 9 Virginia, and host No. 31 UNLV among others.
Representing Illinois are Max Herendeen (No.1), Jackson Buchanan (No.2), Ryan Voois (No.3), Trey Marrion (No.4), Ethan Wilson (No.5), and individual competitor Jake Birdwell.
Live scoring for the tournament will be available on Clippd Scoreboard with daily recaps posted on FightingIllini.com.
Illinois has consistently performed well at this event over recent years with a notable team win in 2023 and consistent top ten finishes since they began participating regularly in this tournament back in 2015.
Jackson Buchanan is making his fourth appearance at Southern Highlands having improved his performance each year since his freshman debut where he finished tied for 83rd place.
Ryan Voois and Max Herendeen are also returning competitors from last season’s lineup with Voois finishing T34 and Herendeen tying for 15th last year.
Following this event, Illinois will compete at the Pauma Valley Invitational hosted by Loyola Marymount on March 17-18 at Pauma Valley Country Club in California.
For ongoing updates on Illinois men's golf news follow @IlliniMGolf on social media or visit FightingIllini.com.
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