Chambana Sun

Fighting Illini men's golfer Max Herendeen has been named a Preseason First Team All-American by Golf Channel, placing him among the top 10 collegiate golfers in the country for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The announcement was made Friday and highlights Herendeen's standing as one of the leading athletes in NCAA men’s golf.

The University of Illinois team also received recognition, ranking No. 11 in Golf Channel’s preseason team rankings ahead of the new season.

Herendeen's recent accolades include being named to the Haskins Award Preseason Watch List and earning a Preseason Second Team All-America selection from Golfweek. He is a two-time PING All-American, having secured second team honors in 2024 and an honorable mention in 2025. Notably, he is the first Illini golfer since Charlie Danielson to achieve back-to-back All-America selections from the GCAA during his freshman and sophomore years.

In the previous season, Herendeen advanced to the final round of stroke play at the 2025 NCAA Championship. He finished with a team-best scoring average of 70.85 and led head-to-head matchups with a record of 1023-179-28 (.843). He tied for most rounds in the 60s on his team (14) and recorded two scores of 63 (-7), including one that placed him fifth at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate and another that matched an opening-round record at the B1G Championship. His best finish came at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational, where he tied for first with a score of 204 (-12) before finishing second after a playoff.

Over the summer, Herendeen made his PGA TOUR debut at the 3M Open and reached the Round of 16 in both match play events at the Western Amateur (123rd edition) and U.S. Amateur (125th edition). As a result, he has risen to No. 17 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

The Fighting Illini are scheduled to begin their season hosting their annual event—the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational—at Olympia Fields Country Club from September 19-21.