OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – The Illinois men's golf team, ranked No. 12 in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll released Friday morning, opened the 2025-26 season by hosting the 19th annual OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational. The Fighting Illini carded a team score of 5-over 285 to sit in a tie for sixth in a loaded field with 36 holes to play.
Three Illini opened with top-25 scores, led by junior Max Herendeen who is tied for sixth after 18 holes with a 69 (-1). Herendeen's opening round tied his career-low at Olympia Fields after he finished 1-under in Round 2 of the rain-shortened tournament during his freshman campaign in 2023 and matched it in Round 3 of last year's event.
Behind Herendeen, newcomers Freddie Turnell and Dane Huddleston, posted strong starts to their Illinois careers. Turnell, competing as an individual, shot an even-par 70 and is tied for 14th with 36 holes to play. Huddleston, who qualified at the No. 1 spot in the Illini lineup, recorded a 1-over 71 and sits in a 14-way tie for 21st.
Senior Ryan Voois and sophomore Trey Marrion rounded out the scoring for the Illini lineup in Round 1. Voois is tied for 35th with a 2-over 72, while Marrion is tied for 41st with an opening 73 (+3). Junior Ethan Wilson, the fifth member of the Illini lineup, carded a 77 (+7) and is tied for 72nd in the 81-player field.
True freshman Dujuan Snyman (76), and sophomore Jake Birdwell (80) are tied for 68th and 77th, respectively, as individual competitors in the field.
No. 19 Texas Tech (-1) sits atop the team leaderboard as the only squad to shoot under par in Round 1. The Red Raiders are one stroke ahead of No. 4 Oklahoma State (E), followed by No. 10 Florida and Loyola Marymount in a tie for third at 2-over. No. 11 Alabama (+3) rounds out the top five with a one-stroke edge over the Illini, No. 15 Florida State, and No. 16 Texas A&M.
TTU's Adam Bresnu (-3) also holds a slim lead in the medalist race with 12 competitors within two shots of his opening 67.
Round 2 is set to tee off Saturday morning, beginning at 8 a.m. CT. The Illini, paired with Florida State and Arizona State, will be in the lead group off No. 1. Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com.
