University of Illinois
Sahalee Players Championship
Illini Open Season at Sahalee Players Championship
September 11, 2026 | Men's Golf
PREVIEW
| No. 12 Illinois at Sahalee Players Championship | |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Sahalee Players Championship |
| Date | Sept. 12-13 |
| Location | Sammamish, Wash. |
| Course | Sahalee Country Club (Par 72 / 7,007 Yards) |
| Live Scoring | Clippd Scoreboard |
| Illinois | Roster | Schedule |
| Shop | Fighting Illini Store |
| Social Media | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
SAMMAMISH, Wash. – The Fighting Illini men's golf team – No. 11 nationally in the preseason rankings from Golfweek and Golf Channel, and No. 12 in the GCAA's Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll – opens the 2026-27 season testing itself against a formidable field at the Sahalee Players Championship. The two-day event, hosted by Big Ten foe Washington, will be contested Saturday and Sunday.
THE SETTING
The Sahalee Players Championship is hosted at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., just 20 minutes outside of Seattle. Sahalee was designed by noted golf course architect Ted Robinson with later renovations by Rees Jones, and it has been consistently ranked as one of the top-100 courses in America by Golf Digest for more than 30 years. The all-weather, year-round course is characteristically Northwest with majestic Douglas fir, red cedar and hemlock trees lining its narrow fairways. Sahalee's 27-holes consist of three 9-hole courses of equal caliber (North, South and East courses), any two of which can be combined to create three unique 18-hole tracks. This weekend, the Illini will tee off on the North and South courses for a Par-72 layout that stretches 7,007 yards.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 54-hole tournament will be a five-count-four format played over two days, with 36 holes slated for Saturday, followed by Sunday's final round. Both days are scheduled to begin with split tee times on Saturday (9 a.m. CT/7 a.m. PT) and Sunday (9:20 a.m. CT/7:20 a.m. PT).
THE FIELD
The Sahalee Players Championship features a formidable, 12-team field that includes eight programs ranked inside the GCAA's Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll and three others receiving top-25 votes. No. 12 Illinois is joined in the field by No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 4 Arizona State, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 13 Pepperdine, No. 14 UCLA, No. 24 Arizona, Cal, Duke, San Diego State, and host Washington.
FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Max Herendeen
No. 2: Dane Huddleston
No. 3: Trey Marrion
No. 4: Ethan Wilson
No. 5: Freddie Turnell
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Individual: Jake Birdwell
ILLINI AT THE SAHALEE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
The Fighting Illini return to the Sahalee Players Championship for the first time since winning the inaugural college event to open the 2023-24 season. The Illini shot a team score of 863 (-1) to claim the title by six strokes over Arizona State. Senior Max Herendeen – making his college debut as a freshman for the Illini – shared medalist honors by carding a 5-under 211 to match ASU's Preston Summerhays.
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the Sahalee Players Championship will be available on Clippd Scoreboard. A recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of competition.
UP NEXT
Following play this weekend in the Pacific Northwest, Illinois hosts another of the season's most prestigious collegiate events next weekend, Sept. 18-20, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. The Fighting Illini will welcome 14 peers for the 20th annual OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational. This year, the tournament will be hosted on OFCC's Par-72, 7,114-yard South Course. The event annually offers a demanding but fair early-season test that attracts one of the best fields in collegiate golf. The competition will include 12 programs ranked inside the top 25 of the GCAA's Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll.
