Illini Head to Madison for Badger Invitational
September 12, 2026 | Women's Golf
Preview
| Illinois at the Badger Invitational | |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Badger Invitational |
| Date | Sept. 13-15 |
| Location | Madison, Wis. |
| Course | University Ridge Golf Course (Par 72, 6,332 yards) |
| Live Scoring | Clippd |
| Illinois | Roster | Schedule |
| Shop | Fighting Illini Store |
| Social Media | X | Instagram | Facebook |
MADISON, Wis. – Illinois women's golf returns to action this weekend, traveling to Wisconsin for the Badger Invitational at University Ridge Golf Course. Action from Madison, Wis., will be held from Sept. 13-15.
The Orange and Blue enter the tournament coming off a strong season-opening performance at The Bruzzy, where Illinois tied for fourth in an 11-team field and finished 12-under par.
THE SETTING
The Badger Invitational will be hosted by Wisconsin at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wis. The course is set up as a par 72 and 6,332 yards.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
This 54-hole stroke play event will feature 18 holes each day, Sunday-Tuesday. The best four performances will count towards a team's score each round. Play will kick off with tee times beginning at 9 a.m. CT from holes 1 and 10 on Sunday and Monday. Round three will commence with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
THE FIELD
Along with the Illini, the 16-team event features Wisconsin, Michigan, Notre Dame, Washington State, Iowa State, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Western Kentucky, Colorado State, FIU, Iowa, Sam Houston, Boise State, Bradley, and Delaware.
FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
Individual: Tavia Burgess
LAST TIME OUT
The Illini enter the Badger Invitational following a strong season-opening performance at The Bruzzy in Trophy Club, Texas. Illinois tied for fourth in the 11-team field, posting three-straight under-par rounds of 284 (-4), 283 (-5) and 285 (-3) to finish at 852 (-12).
Senior Erica Lee led the team individually, tying for 16th at 4-under 212 after firing a 2-under 70 in the final round. Eileen Lee made an impressive collegiate debut, finishing tied for 20th at 3-under 213, while freshman Meadow Tian placed tied for 26th at 1-under 215.
Sophomore Tavia Burgess tied for 30th at even-par 216, matching her career-best 54-hole score, while Alexis Myers finished tied for 33rd at 1-over 217.
Competing as an individual, junior Sofia Vargas tied for first at 10-under 206 in her return to competition. Vargas opened the tournament with an 8-under 64 before closing with rounds of 72 and 70 to claim her second career individual tournament title.
ILLINI AT THE BADGER INVITATIONAL
The Badger Invitational marks Illinois' second tournament of the 2026-27 season. The Illini will look to build on their strong opening performance and continue the momentum of recording an under-par team score in every round.
At the 2025 Badger Invitational, the Illinois women's golf team earned its first of two tournament wins of the 2025-26 season, with a 54-hole team total of 848 (-16). Alexis Myers secured the individual title after shooting a 207 (-9) as a freshman.
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the Badger Invitational will be available on Scoreboard powered by Clippd. A recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of play.
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's action, the Illini will be headed to Glencoe, Ill., for the Windy City Classic from Oct. 5-6.
