TUCSON, Ariz. – The Illinois men's golf team, ranked No. 20 nationally in the GCAA's latest Bushnell/GolfWeek DI Coaches Poll, returns to the desert for the second time in as many events, to match up against a formidable field at the National Invitational Tournament (N.I.T) on Friday and Saturday.
THE SETTING
The N.I.T is hosted by the University of Arizona at the Omni Tucson National Resort Catalina Course in Tucson, Ariz. The Par-72, 7,167-yard course – selected as one of Golf Digest's "75 Best Golf Resorts in North America" – has hosted more than 30 PGA Tour Events.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 54-hole tournament will be a five-count-four format played over two days, with 36 holes slated for Friday, followed by Saturday's final round.
THE FIELD
The N.I.T. features a 15-team field highlighted by some of the top golf programs in the nation. The Illini, No. 20 in the latest GCAA Bushnell/GolfWeek rankings, are one of nine teams in the field that are either ranked or receiving top-25 votes along with Oklahoma (1), Oklahoma State (3), Arkansas (4), Pepperdine (7), Tennessee (12), Texas (13), New Mexico (RV) and host Arizona (RV). Colorado State, San Diego, San Diego State, Southern California, UNLV and Wyoming round out the field.
FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Tommy Kuhl
No. 2: Adrien Dumont de Chassart
No. 3: Jerry Ji
No. 4: Piercen Hunt
No. 5: Jackson Buchanan
Individual: Luke Armbrust
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the N.I.T. will be available on GolfStat.com. A recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of competition.
ILLINI AT THE N.I.T.
The Illini will tee off in the field at the N.I.T. for the second consecutive season. At the 2021 event, the team recorded a share of fifth place against the 18-team field behind a top-10 finish from then-junior Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Dumont de Chassart led the way for the Orange and Blue, carding rounds of 68-65-72 to finish with a 54-hole tally of 205 (-11) to finish in a tie for seventh in the 104-player field. Jerry Ji and Tommy Kuhl also played in the Illini lineup last season finishing 35th and tied for 74th, respectively, while sophomore Piercen Hunt also tied for 74th as an individual competitor last season.
UP NEXT
The Illini return to action in early April, traveling to Augusta, Ga., for the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational. The event is hosted by Augusta University at Forest Hills Golf Club – just miles from Augusta National Golf Club – and takes place April 2-3, concluding just before the Masters tees off April 7.
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