Chambana Sun

Fighting Illini junior Max Herendeen has been selected as one of 25 golfers on the final fall watch list for the Fred Haskins Award, according to an announcement made Tuesday by Golf Channel and Golfweek.

Herendeen finished the fall season ranked No. 12 among NCAA Division I players. His performances included a fifth-place finish at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational, along with runner-up placements at both the Windon Memorial Classic and the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational. Over 12 rounds in Illinois’ fall schedule, Herendeen recorded par or better in 11 rounds, achieving a head-to-head record of 294-23-5 and averaging 68.92 strokes per round. This average puts him on track to surpass the single-season scoring record at Illinois.

Herendeen is a two-time PING All-American, earning second-team honors in 2024 and honorable mention in 2025. He is noted as the first Illinois golfer since Charlie Danielson to earn consecutive All-America honors from the GCAA during his freshman and sophomore years. Previously named to the Haskins Award preseason watch list, Herendeen entered this season following a notable summer that included his PGA TOUR debut at the 3M Open and reaching the Round of 16 in match play at both the Western Amateur and U.S. Amateur championships. At one point, he was ranked as high as No. 17 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

The Fred Haskins Award presented by Stifel has recognized top male collegiate golfers annually since 1971, with voting limited to college golfers, coaches, and golf media members. The award’s past recipients have collectively won more than 400 professional tournaments and 33 major championships globally. It is managed by the Haskins Foundation to honor outstanding male golfers each season and complements the ANNIKA Award for female Division I collegiate golfers.