BALTIMORE, Md. – The 13th-ranked Illinois men's golf team finished one stroke short in its bid for the Big Ten Championship on Sunday as No. 12 UCLA came from behind to overtake the Illini by a single shot in the final round at Baltimore Country Club.
Illinois entered Round 3 with a six-stroke lead, overall, and an eight-shot cushion over the Bruins. But the windy conditions caught up with the Illini late in the day and the Orange and Blue posted a final score of 843 (+3), with a closing 291 (+11). That opened the door for UCLA, playing ahead of the Illini, to pick up the win with their Round 3 score of 282 (+2) to finish at 842 (+2).
"We just didn't grab ahold of it and close it out, and that's what happens sometimes," head coach Mike Small said. ""Backdoor wins" or come-from-behind wins happen frequently in college golf especially with tough conditions coupled with young teams. Teams from different waves don't feel the same pressures and it's often an advantage to finish ahead and come from behind in tough course conditions. Strong teams hold their ground at the end and we did not, and UCLA took advantage of it.
"It happens a lot with kids this age and it has happened today. We didn't handle the adversity and the stress that comes with holding a lead and trying to win in these conditions. It is very difficult, but not impossible. And we just made a lot of unforced errors. We started the round off pretty well, but again, when adversity hit we didn't seem to hold our ground with our short games and our putters."
Despite the team's late-round struggles, freshman Jake Birdwell – playing in the last group of the day – gave Illinois hope on the final green. After his birdie on 17 kept the team alive, his putt attempt for a tying birdie on 18 pushed just left of the hole before he finished for par.
Birdwell, playing in just his second tournament of the season in the Illini's scoring lineup, led the Illini with a 54-hole total of 207 (-3) to finish tied for third and earn a spot on the All-Big Ten Championship team. Junior Ryan Voois also recorded a top-10, shooting a team-low 70 on the day to finish with an even-par 210.
Behind Birdwell and Voois, sophomore Max Herendeen tied for 19th with a three-round total of 214 (+4), senior Jackson Buchanan posted a 219 (+9) to tie for 42nd, and freshman Trey Marrion tied for 58th with a 12-over 222.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini return home to continue their postseason run as hosts of one of six NCAA Regional tournaments at Atkins Golf Club in Urbana, May 12-14. The complete field for the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship will be revealed live on Golf Channel's Golf Central Special: NCAA Men's Selection Show, Wednesday, May 30 at 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT.
