Mike Small Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Mike Small Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Illinois men's golf alumnus Jackson Buchanan has secured a spot in the 125th U.S. Open for the second consecutive year. Buchanan, from Dacula, Georgia, advanced through local qualifying and tied for first place in final qualifying at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta. He was one of five golfers to earn a spot at this site.
The U.S. Open's official Twitter account acknowledged Buchanan's achievement with a post comparing his performance to that of Mason Howell, highlighting his impressive scores of 63-63.
Buchanan will join fellow former Illini golfers Brian Campbell and Thomas Detry at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania from June 12-15. All three are past Big Ten Golfers of the Year.
Buchanan achieved a two-round total score of 126 (-18) with back-to-back rounds of 9-under 63, finishing seven shots ahead of other qualifiers for Oakmont. He is also the recipient of several accolades including the 2025 Byron Nelson Award and Illinois' Big Ten Medal of Honor.
Detry qualified for the U.S. Open as a top-60 points leader in the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 19, while Campbell qualified as a top-five player in the FedExCup standings by the same date. Both Detry and Campbell are set to compete in their fourth U.S. Open.
Detry had notable performances in previous tournaments, including finishing T14 at Pinehurst No. 2 last year after missing cuts in earlier years. Campbell made his debut at Pinehurst No. 2 but did not make it past initial rounds; however, he later finished T27 at Chambers Bay and T56 upon returning to Pinehurst last year.
Alerts Sign-up