PAUMA VALLEY, Calif. – The No. 9-ranked Illinois men's golf team closed out play at the Pauma Valley Invitational on Wednesday, tying for sixth in a loaded field that featured six programs ranked in the nation's top 30.
Dane Huddleston led the way for the Illini lineup. The junior carded a closing 67 (-4) on Wednesday to jump 12 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for eighth, with a three-round total 208 (-5).
He finished one stroke behind teammate Ethan Wilson, who tied for fifth as an individual competitor, with a final score of 207 (-6). It marks the second top-five finish of Wilson's career.
Sophomore Freddie Turnell closed out his third top-20 finish of the season in a tie for 16th with a 54-hole total of 211 (-2). Senior Ryan Voois shot even-par for the week, including his final round of 2-under 69 on Wednesday. He finished tied for 29th. Sophomore Trey Marrion and junior Max Herendeen tied for 60th at 5-over.
As a team, the Illini finished tied with No. 2-ranked Virginia at 6-under. No. 15 Tennessee and No. 20 Georgia Tech tied for first at 16-under, three strokes ahead of No. 3 Florida and No. 6 LSU in a tie for third. Seventh-ranked Oklahoma State finished two strokes ahead of the Illini to round out the top five.
The Orange and Blue picked up head-to-head wins against nine program, including a trio of top-30 programs. No. 13 Ole Miss (+1) and No. 10 Texas Tech (+3) finished ninth and 10th, respectively. No. 28 San Diego State (+8) closed the week in 12th.
Tennessee's Lance Simpson and SMU's William Sides also tied for medalist honors at 10-under, four shots ahead of Wilson.
The Fighting Illini now travel to the Pacific Northwest to compete in the Duck Invitational, hosted by Big Ten foe Oregon, starting next Monday at Eugene Country Club. The Orange and Blue won the event in 2024.
