University of Illinois
NCAA Championship Stroke Play
Strong Round 2 Keeps Illini in Position at NCAA Championship
May 25, 2024 | Men's Golf
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The No. 11-seeded Fighting Illini men's golf team carded Saturday's second-lowest team score, a 1-under 287, during Round 2 of the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. The effort moved the Orange and Blue three spots up the leaderboard into second place – three shots behind 36-hole leader Virginia – with a cut down to 15 teams on the horizon after Sunday's third round.
"It was a solid round," head coach Mike Small said. "There's not a coach here that would be unhappy with that. It was just a solid day."
The Illini's outing capitalized on favorable morning conditions. Though they teed off on No. 10 and faced the hardest part of the course early on, the team battled to a combined team score of 3-over on the back nine before making the turn and shooting 4-under on Holes 1-9.
"This is what you want," Small said of his team's start through 36 holes. "You want to play from strength and set the tone for the week early, and not wait."
Three Illini sit inside the top 25, paced by freshman Max Herendeen who followed his opening 73 with a 2-under 70 in Round 2. He is 1-under for the weekend and enters Round 3 tied for fourth.
Herendeen was even at the turn with two birdies and two bogeys over his first eight holes. A bogey on No. 1 pushed him to 1-over after 10. But a birdie on No. 2 jump-started a 3-under finish – including two more birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 – which vaulted him 21 spots up the individual leaderboard.
"Max started off strong. As a young player, he ran into a little trouble mid-round and he became frustrated and started to run a little hot," Small said. "But he made birdie on No. 2 after a really strong recovery shot, which got him recalibrated and back into it. Then he played strong from there. He finished off his round in style."
Behind Herendeen, fifth-year senior Tyler Goecke and sophomore Ryan Voois are tied for 22nd at 146 (+2). Voois posted an even-par 72 to jump 19 spots up the leaderboard, while Goecke's second round of 73 (+1) in as many days helped him move up three places.
Junior Jackson Buchanan also climbed the standings on Saturday to round out the scoring for the Illini with an even-par 72. He sat at 2-over at the turn, following bogeys on 16 and 18, but was blemish free over his final nine holes, with birdies on Nos. 2 and 9, to climb 58 spots into a tie for 54th at 150 (+6).
Senior Piercen Hunt's 78 (+6) did not factor into the Illini's Round 2 score. He is tied for 67th, one shot behind Buchanan, at 151 (+7) heading into Sunday.
The Illini's position within the top three of the team standings secures an early tee time off No. 1 in Round 3, starting at 8:40 a.m. CT/6:40 a.m. PT. The Illini will be paired with Virginia and third-place Vanderbilt.
"Theoretically, they give the better teams the early times because it is easier, but you don't know," Small added. "Yesterday it rained on the earlier wave. You just try to shoot the lowest score you can every round, shoot the lowest score you can on every hole, and hit best shot you can on every shot."
Live scoring is available throughout the tournament at Golfstat.com.
| PLACE | 2024 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP | RD1 | RD2 | RD3 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Illinois | 293 | 287 | 580 (+4) | |
| T4 | Max Herendeen | 73 | 70 | 143 (-1) | |
| T22 | Tyler Goecke | 73 | 73 | 146 (+2) | |
| T22 | Ryan Voois | 74 | 72 | 146 (+2) | |
| T54 | Jackson Buchanan | 78 | 72 | 150 (+6) | |
| T67 | Piercen Hunt | 73 | 78 | 151 (+7) |
