No. 9 Illinois showcased a solid first start to its 2024-25 season in the Folds of Honor Collegiate this week. The Illini are fresh with talent but faced stiff competition this week.
Opening up this week on Monday with a team score of 286 (+2), the Illini started off solid in second place after round one at American Dunes Golf Club.
Star senior Jackson Buchanan got off to a slow start and found himself 3-over through four holes. However, he soon picked up the slack and closed his round with impressive back-to-back birdies. This effort brought him back to tie for seventh place after day one. Still, he was six strokes behind No. 16 Alabama’s Jack Mitchell (-7).
Junior Ryan Voois and sophomore Max Herendeen tied for 15th and 18th for the Illini, while freshman Trey Marrion showed promise by ending the day tied for 10th place, an impressive debut for the rookie. Not being counted in Illini’s team score for round one, sophomore Ethan Wilson tied for 27th.
Head coach Mike Small’s team finished the first day well, but just out of reach of Alabama heading into round two. However, Illinois had the lowest team score in round two on Tuesday (-6), and nearly took Alabama’s lead.
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Herendeen shot a remarkable 4-under 67 in round two, which marked the second-best round of the day. This performance propelled him 13 spots up the leaderboard, tying him with teammate Buchanan for fifth place. Both players are now five shots behind the 36-hole leader, Dominic Clemons of Alabama, who sits at -7.
The powerhouse Alabama (-5) provided intense competition, but Illinois (-4) maintained its focus. They are the only two teams under par after the first two rounds. Former champion Notre Dame (+2), co-host Michigan State (+3) and No. 8 Texas (+5) rounded out the top five.
With the final round set to begin in the morning at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Illinois tees off with determination to overtake Alabama in first place. The team’s performance here in Michigan was not just solely this tournament; it was about setting the tone for the upcoming season.
In the third and final round, Buchanan advanced two positions to finish in third place. Herendeen secured ninth place with an even-par 213, Marrion tied for 10th, Wilson ended in 19th and Voois finished tied for 23rd.
Illinois’ debut at the Folds of Honor Collegiate ended with a second-place finish. While it didn’t secure first, its strong performance set a positive tone for the season.
@mattisonleskis
