This past weekend was full of birdies and personal bests for the Illinois golf teams. The men and women competed with similar levels of determination at their separate tournaments. Whether with the men in the sunny state of Hawaii or the women in Florida, Illinois had a lot to celebrate.

Multiple athletes recorded career-low rounds along with top-10 finishes.  The weekend provided a solid idea of how the rest of the season will unfold for two competitive programs. 

Herendeen’s record-setting round 

Sophomore Max Herendeen took charge at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate. Herendeen tied the course record with a sensational 63 (-7) in the final round. This finished off a remarkable performance and helped boost the Illini up two spots to finish in fifth place.

It wasn’t just a course record, though. Herendeen started the spring on a high note by also matching his lowest career score. He set that career low during the NCAA Stanford Regional as a freshman and now reached the mark again in his second year. He has consistently grown over these two years and will look to beat that low in the coming weeks. 

Duo propels Illinois to top finish 

Herendeen was not alone in his successful weekend. With his always-reliable play, senior Jackson Buchanan had a solid 70 in Round 3 to land himself in a tie for eighth place. This marked his 21st top-10 finish in his career, but the individual implications were more meaningful. Buchanan, as always, was a key to Illinois’ success in this tournament, adding to two other top-10 performances on the squad. 

Sophomore Ethan Wilson rounded out the top Illini of the weekend with an outstanding performance. The underclassmen also tied for eighth place. His 54-hole score came in at 206 (-4), marking a career low for Wilson.

Women on opposite coast 

While the men’s team was playing in the paradise of the Aloha State, the women faced off at the Spartan Suncoast Collegiate Invitational. They landed in eighth place with a final score of 874 (+10). Junior Anna Ritter led the opening performance of the spring.

Ritter, fresh off of her first top-10 finish of the season, added another one when she finished tied for ninth at 215 (-1). She was the top Illini of the weekend by six strokes after a strong first round. A 69-stroke opening round helped Ritter to a 142 (-2) on Day 1, solidifying herself near the top of the field. 

Teamwork 

Juniors Victoria Zheng and Brielle Mapanao, along with senior Lexanne Halama, each had solid weekends at this tournament as well. The trio never matched scores in the same round, but all ended with an identical score of 223. Zheng had the most pars out of every participant, with 44.

Zheng showcased her talent in this tournament; becoming more consistent hole-to-hole will help the Illini continue to excel. While the Illini had a strong showing, they did come up short. However, it was a performance to build on as they head to their next event.

Looking ahead

The men’s team hopes to keep this momentum going as they head to the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas March 2-4. The women’s team heads to The Chevron Collegiate in Humble, Texas, Feb. 24-25. Both teams will look to build on solid starts.

@mattisonleskis

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