University of Illinois
Sahalee Players Championship
Herendeen Leads, Illini Second After Strong Start at Sahalee Players Championship
September 12, 2026 | Men's Golf
RECAP
SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Illinois' Max Herendeen is the 36-hole leader, and the Fighting Illini men's golf team sits in second place in a loaded field, after Day 1 at the Sahalee Players Championship at Sahalee Country Club.
Herendeen – a senior who hails from nearby Bellevue, Wash., and claimed a share of the individual title at Sahalee in his collegiate debut to open the 2023-24 season – carded rounds of 66 (-6) and 69 (-3) in his return to a familiar course. He enters Round 3 with a five-stroke edge atop the individual leaderboard after posting 11 birdies and an eagle with just four bogeys to tally a score of 135 (-9). Herendeen was locked in early, making the turn in Round 1 with a bogey-free 7-under after carding red numbers on Holes 2-7, including his eagle on No. 6.
As a team, the 12th-ranked Illini carded a 36-hole score of 587 (+11). They sit 11 shots behind the pace of No. 3-ranked Oklahoma State, which shot even par on the day. No. 1 Florida (+12) is one stroke behind Illinois, followed by Duke (+14) in fourth and No. 5 North Carolina (+20) in fifth.
Dane Huddleston, another Pacific Northwest product from Woodland, Wash., and junior Freddie Turnell both sit inside the top 20 for the Illini. Huddleston is T16 with a tally of 148 (+4). Turnell (T18) is one shot off Huddleston's pace.
Junior Trey Marrion rounded out the scoring for the Illini on Day 1 with a two-round total of 155 (+11). He is tied for 54th heading into Sunday's finale. Senior Ethan Wilson, who did not factor into the Illini's score through the first two rounds, is T60 at 15-over as the fifth member of the Illini lineup. Junior Jake Birdwell, competing as an individual, is T34 at 8-over with 18 holes to play.
Sunday's final round is set to begin with tee times off Holes 1 and 10 starting at 9:20 a.m. CT/7:20 a.m. PT. The Illini, paired with OSU and Florida, will be among the final teams off No. 1 starting at 10:37 a.m. CT/8:37 a.m. PT. Live scoring is available on Clippd Scoreboard.
| PLACE | SAHALEE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP | RD1 | RD2 | RD3 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Illinois | 290 | 297 | - | 576 (+11) |
| 1 | Max Herendeen | 66 | 69 | - | 135 (-9) |
| T16 | Dane Huddleston | 76 | 72 | - | 148 (+4) |
| T18 | Freddie Turnell | 73 | 76 | - | 149 (+5) |
| T33 | Jake Birdwell (Ind.) | 77 | 75 | - | 152 (+8) |
| T53 | Trey Marrion | 75 | 80 | - | 155 (+11) |
| T60 | Ethan Wilson | 78 | 81 | - | 159 (+15) |
