LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The No. 12 Illinois men's golf team closed out its first team victory of the season on Tuesday afternoon at Knollwood Club, pulling away for a six-stroke win at the Windon Memorial Classic.
The Illini carded a team score of 828 (-36), the program's fourth-lowest 54-hole score ever recorded in a fall tournament.
All five members of the Illini lineup posted top-15 scores, led by a runner-up finish from junior Max Herendeen and a career-best fifth-place showing from sophomore Trey Marrion.
Herendeen carded a 10-under 206 to finish tied for second, two shots off the pace of medalist Mesa Falleur of New Mexico. He was bogey-free during Tuesday's final round and closed the tournament by shooting 9-under without a single bogey over his final 34 holes.
Marrion not only recorded his career-best individual finish (T5), but his final tally of 207 (-9) marked his second straight event with a career-low 54-hole score, eclipsing the 211 (+1) he posted in the Illini's opener at the OFCC / Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields.
Sophomore Freddie Turnell, making his first start in the lineup after competing as an individual in his Illini debut at OFCC finished in a tie for 11th with a 6-under 210.
Junior Dane Huddleston and senior Ryan Voois finished in a tie for 14th at 211 (-5). Huddleston stormed up the leaderboard throughout Round 3 as he posted a 68 (-4) with five birdies and no bogeys over his final 16 holes of the day.
Competing as an individual, true freshman Dujuan Snyman carded a 6-over 222 to finish in a tie for 66th. Snyman opened with a 68 (-4) in Round 1 before finishing with scores of 75 and 79 in Round 2 and 3, respectively.
The win gives Illinois head-to-head victories over 15 programs, including seven other teams ranked or receiving votes in the most recent Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll. The Illini finished six shots ahead of No. 22-ranked New Mexico (-30). Big Ten foes Ohio State (-21) and host Northwestern (-18) finished third and fourth, respectively, while Notre Dame (-17) rounded out the top five in the team standings.
UP NEXT
The Orange and Blue tee off, Oct. 13-14, at the Moraine Intercollegiate hosted by Miami (Ohio) at Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio.
