University of Illinois
Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational
Herendeen Paces No. 12 Illini on Day 1 at Fallen Oak
October 17, 2026 | Men's Golf
SAUCIER, Miss. – Senior Max Herendeen opened play at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational with a top-three score on Saturday, leading the way for the Fighting Illini. The Orange and Blue sit in a tie for sixth place with 36 holes remaining over the next two days at Fallen Oak at Beau Rivage Resort.
Herendeen, ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division I men's golf rankings, was the only Illini to finish under par in Round 1 with a 70 (-2). The senior from Bellevue, Wash., will enter Round 2 in a tie for third, just two shots off the lead shared by Mississippi State's Finn Burkholder and Eduardo Matarazzo of Ole Miss.
Herendeen opened his day with a birdie on No. 1. He sat at even par as he made the turn. On the back nine, he was able to make up some ground on the leaders, adding his third and fourth birdies of the day on Nos. 13 and 15, to pull within striking distance.
Junior Freddie Turnell sits in a tie for 17th at 1-over, followed by classmate Trey Marrion (+2) in a tie for 26th and senior Dane Huddleston (+2) in a tie for 43rd, to round out the Illini scoring on Day 1.
The Illini (+5) are tied with Georgia, and sit just one shot back of four SEC foes – No. 1 Arkansas, No. 4 Alabama, No. 9 Tennessee, and co-host Ole Miss – in a tie for second place in the team race at 4-over. Big Ten rival and 20th-ranked Ohio State (-1) leads the way.
Freshman Harrison Zipfel (+5), making his debut in the Illinois scoring lineup, is tied for 50th in the 84-player field, but did not factor into the Illini's Round 1 tally.
Junior Jake Birdwell, competing as an individual, carded an opening 78 (+6) and is tied for 63rd.
Round 2 is set to begin with tee times starting at 9:30 a.m. CT. Live scoring is available via Clippd Scoreboard.
| PLACE | FALLEN OAK COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL | RD1 | RD2 | RD3 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T6 | Illinois | 293 | 293 (+5) | ||
| T3 | Max Herendeen | 70 | 70 (-2) | ||
| T17 | Freddie Turnell | 73 | 73 (+1) | ||
| T26 | Trey Marrion | 74 | 74 (+2) | ||
| T43 | Dane Huddleston | 76 | 76 (+4) | ||
| T50 | Harrison Zipfel | 77 | 77 (+5) | ||
| T63 | Jake Birdwell (Ind.) | 78 | 78 (+6) |
