OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – The No. 5 Fighting Illini men's golf team is in the clubhouse in a tie for eighth with No. 9 Florida, with a trio of competitors in the final grouping slated to return to the course Sunday morning to wrap up play at the 18th annual OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational. Â
Due to the threat of inclement weather on Sunday, Saturday's schedule was adjusted to allow for 36 holes of continuous play, and 75 of the 78 players in the field completed the 54-hole event before play was suspended due to darkness. Arizona State's Jose Luis Ballester (-10) and Georgia Tech's Benjamin Reuter (-9), locked in a single-stroke battle for medalist honors, have two holes remaining alongside playing partner Ian Gilligan (-1) of Florida who sits in a tie for 14th. Â
All five members of the Illini lineup, and a pair of true freshmen playing as individuals in their collegiate debuts, completed their weekend of action on Saturday.
Junior Ryan Voois shot three consecutive rounds of 1-under 69, and currently sits in a tie for sixth to pace the Orange and Blue lineup at 207 (-3). It marked the first time in Voois' career that he has shot three rounds under par in a single event, and his 207 (-3) is just two strokes shy of his career-low 54-hole total set in his T10 finish last May at the NCAA Stanford Regional. Â
Sophomore Max Herendeen is tied for 18th with an even-par 210. Herendeen carded his lowest round of the weekend in Saturday afternoon's finale, posting a 1-under 69 that included a stretch of four straight birdies on Hole 9-12.
Freshman Trey Marrion is 5-over in a tie for 37th after rounds of 71-73-71 in his first action at Olympia Fields. Senior Jackson Buchanan is tied or 55th at 219 (+9), and sophomore Ethan Wilson is 16-over in a tie for 69th.
Jake Birdwell and Joseph Buttress, each made their collegiate debuts, are T60th and 75th, respectively, as individual competitors.
No. 17 Georgia Tech holds a two-stroke lead at 13-under over No. 2 ASU (-11) in the two-team race for the title. No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Oklahoma State are tied for third at 1-under, followed by No. 11 Texas (+3) in fifth. No 19 Texas A&M and No. 22 Stanford are 1 stroke ahead of the Illini and Gators at 9-over.
UP NEXT
The Illini willl remain in the Illinois, making the trip to Lake Forest, to play in the Windon Memorial Classic, hosted by Northwestern at Conway Farms Golf Club, Sept. 29-30.
FOLLOW THE #ILLINI
For more Fighting Illini men's golf news, stay tuned to FightingIllini.com and follow @IlliniMGolf on social media: X | Instagram | Facebook.
