EUGENE, Ore. – The Illinois men's golf team, ranked No. 21 in the NCAA Division I team rankings and tied for 20th nationally in the GCAA's Bushnell/Golfweek coaches poll, returns to action this week at the 34th Annual Duck Invitational, Monday at Tuesday.
The event marks the teams return to the Pacific Northwest for the second time this season after opening the year with a team win at the Sahalee Players Championship in Sammamish, Wash., in September. Most recently, the Illini are coming off of a Spring Break trip in which the team finished eighth at The Johnnie-O at Sea Island before falling, 5.5-1.5, in a match-play exhibition vs. Texas.
THE SETTING
The Duck Invitational is hosted by future Big Ten foe Oregon at Eugene Country Club, located just two miles north of the UO campus across the Willamette River. The course, with its scenic and natural setting among tall firs has developed a reputation as one of the finest golf courses on the Pacific Coast. The course will be par-71 at 6,997 yards.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 54-hole tournament will be a five-count-four format played over two days, with 36 holes set for Monday, followed by Tuesday's final round. Play is slated to begin each day with a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. CT/8:30 a.m. PT.
THE FIELD
The Duck Invitational field includes 15 programs vying for the team title. The team competition is highlighted by 11 programs ranked inside the top 65 of the latest NCAA Division I team rankings. Playing alongside the No. 21 Illini are host and 24th-ranked Oregon, No. 30 Oklahoma State, No. 39 Loyola Marymount, No. 41 Northwestern, No 46 Fresno State, No. 53 San Jose State, No. 54 Oregon State, No. 58 Colorado, No. 63 Grand Canyon, No. 64 Colorado State, No. 89 Utah, No. 106 Cal Poly, No. 117 UTEP, and No. 171 Boise State.
FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Tyler Goecke
No. 2: Max Herendeen
No. 3: Jackson Buchanan
No. 4: Ryan Voois
No. 5: Ethan Wilson
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the Duck Invitational will be available on GolfStat. A Recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of play.
ILLINI AT THE DUCK INVITATIONAL
The 2024 Duck Invitational marks the first time that the Fighting Illini will compete in the event, now in its 34th playing.
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 minutes from Augusta National Golf Club – and takes place April 6-7, concluding on the eve of Masters week.
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