2024-25 Men's Golf Roster
Jackson Buchanan
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 5-11
- Major:
- Operations Management
- Hometown:
- Dacula, Georgia
- High School:
- Buford High School
HONORS & AWARDS
- Byron Nelson Award Recipient (2025)
- Big Ten Medal of Honor (2025)
- NCAA All-Championship Team - Top-15 finisher at NCAA Championship (2023)
- GCAA PING All-America Third Team (2024)
- Two-Time GCAA PING All-America Honorable Mention (2023, 2025)
- Two-Time GolfWeek All-America Honorable Mention (2023, 2024)
- Big Ten Golfer of the Year (2024)
- Three-Time All-Big Ten First Team (2023, 2024, 2025)
- Two-Time All-Big Ten Championship Team (2023, 2024)
- Three-Time GCAA PING All-Midwest Region (2023, 2024, 2025)
- Three-Time Spring Academic All-Big Ten (2023, 2024, 2025)
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2023-24)
- CSC Academic All-American (2024)
- Three-Time GCAA All-America Scholar (2023, 2024, 2025)
- Two-Time CSC Academic All-District (2024, 2025)
Senior - 2024-25
- Named All-America Honorable Mention by both the GCAA and Golfweek
- Byron Nelson Award recipient, given annually to the nation's top collegiate golfer for success on the course, in the classroom, and in the community
- Selected as Illinois' recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor
- Unanimous selection for First Team All-Big Ten
- Earned third consecutive GCAA PING All-Midwest Region honor
- Ranked first on the team and third in the Big Ten at No. 37 in the NCAA Division I men's golf player rankings and has reached as high as 11th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) during his senior season
- Played in the lineup in all 14 stroke play tournaments
- Won fourth-career tournament at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 19-21) with a three-round score of 7-under 209 (75-68-66)
- Carded his season-best tournament score of 12-under 204 (67-67-70) to record a third-place finish and help the Illini to a team win at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 26-27)
- Posted a T5 finish to help lead the Illini to a share of the team title at the NCAA Urbana Regional (May 12-14) with a score of 6-under 207 (63-73-71)
- His opening 63 at the NCAA Urbana Regional marked a course-record score at Atkins Golf Club, and his lowest of the season
- Ranked second on the team with a career-best season stroke average of 70.93
- Tied for team lead with 13 rounds in the 60s
- Posted a team-best eight top-10 finishes
- Led the Orange and Blue with 26 of 42 rounds at par or better
- Closed as the Illini’s top finisher in a team-most six events
- Earned fifth-career Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors on Oct. 24, 2024.
Junior - 2023-24
- Named All-American by GCAA (third team) and Golfweek (honorable mention)
- Voted Big Ten Golfer of the Year and a unanimous selection for First Team All-Big Ten
- Earned GCAA PING All-Midwest Region honors
- Played in the lineup in all 13 stroke play tournaments, plus match play at the Cypress Point Classic and the NCAA Championship
- Runner-up for the individual title at the 2024 Big Ten Championship to earned spot on All-Big Ten Championship team (top five finisher)
- Posted a team-leading two individual victories on the season, winning the Purdue Fall Invitational and the Duck Invitational
- Ranked second on the team with a stroke average of 70.92
- Carded a season-best round of 65 on two occasions, posting a 6-under 65 in Round 2 of the Flyer Invitational and posting a 5-under 65 in Round 1 of the NCAA Stanford Regional
- Posted his season-best 54-hole tournament score of 204 (-9) in his medalist performance at the Purdue Fall Invitational
- Led the team with eight top-10 finishes
- Tied for the team lead with 12 rounds in the 60s
- Ranked second on the squad with 20 of 39 rounds at par or better
- Closed as the Illini's top finisher in four events on the year, tied for the team lead
- Earned two Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors on Oct. 12, 2024 and March 27, 2024
Sophomore - 2022-23
- Named All-American by the GCAA (honorable mention) and GolfWeek (honorable mention)
- Earned NCAA All-Championship Team honors as a top-15 finisher (T2) in stroke play at the NCAA Championship
- Named First Team All-Big Ten and GCAA PING All-Midwest Region
- Played in the lineup in all 13 tournaments
- Runner-up finish in stroke play at the 2023 NCAA Championship (May 26-31) at Grayhawk Golf Club
- Led individual title race at the 2023 Big Ten Championship halfway through Round 3 before the play was called due to weather, and scores reverted back to 36-hole tallies
- Earned spot on All-Big Ten Championship team by virtue of his top-5 individual finish
- Third on the team with a stroke average of 70.92, more than two full strokes better than his previous season-best of 72.84 set as a freshman
- Recorded top-25 finishes in 10 of 13 tournaments with three top 5s, including his first-career victory at the Tiger Collegiate Invitational (April 10-11)
- In his victory at the Tiger Collegiate Invitational, shot 66-62-66 to set finish with a program-record score of 194 (-22)
- His Round 2 score of 62 (-10) also set a program record for an individual single round
- Ranks third on the team with 22 of 39 rounds at par or better
- Recorded 14 rounds in the 60s, also third on the team
- Ranked third on the team as Illinois’ top finisher in three events on the year, also pacing the squad to a team title at the Folds of Honor Collegiate (Sept. 26-28) before his record-setting win at the Tiger Collegiate Invitational (April 10-11), and his runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship (May 26-31)
- Earned two B1G Golfer of the Week honors on Oct. 5, 2022 and April 12, 2023
SUMMER 2022
- Tied for 33rd at the Dogwood Invitational (June 8-11), and tied for 37th at the Georgia Amateur (July 7-10)
- Finished T-6th at the 2022 Southern Amateur with a 13-under 271 (69-66-67-69)
- Carded rounds of 64-68-68 to finish third (-10) at the 2022 Souteastern Amateur (July 21-23)
- Finished 5th at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Invitational (July 25-27)
- Posted T-3rd finish as the low amateur at the 2022 L&J Georgia Open (Aug. 4-7)
FRESHMAN - 2021-22
- Competed in 32 rounds over 12 events, including a spot in the Illini's scoring lineup in each of the last seven tournaments of the regular season, plus the Big Ten Championship and NCAA New Haven Regional
- Played as an individual at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational (Sept. 17-19) and took first in an individual event, the Milikin Country Club Classic (Oct. 3-4), before breaking into the team's scoring lineup over the final seven events of the season.
- Ranks fifth on the team with a stroke average of 72.84
- Posted 13 rounds on the season with scores of par or better
- Recorded back-to-back top-10 finishes with a tie for fourth at the Boilermaker Invitational (April 9-10) and a tie for eighth at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate (April 23-24), closing each tournament by matching his career-low 54-hole score of 212 Initially set March 18-19 at the National Invitational Tournament
- At the Big Ten Championship, tied for 33rd and made birdie on 18 in Round 3 to help the Illini secure the one-stroke victory
High School/Junior
- Ranked 47th nationally and fourth in the state of Georgia in the Rolex AJGA rankings
- Earned four varsity letters for golf at Buford High School
- Selected as an All-State performer all four seasons
- Two-time Gwinnett Daily Post Boys Golfer of the Year
- Won the 2020 AJGA Stewart Cink Championship and finished third at the 2020 Georgia State Golf Association Junior Championship
- Posted a 4-0 mark in the Georgia-South CArolina Junior Challenge match-play event to help Georgia to a 9-7 victory
- Graduated with honors and was a member of the Spanish National Honor Society
Personal
- Full name is Jackson Tyler Buchanan
- Son of John and Sherri Buchanan
- Born Feb. 19, 2002 in South Bend, Indiana
- Has an older sister, Kylie, and a younger sister, Lindsay
- Father played baseball at Mercer University
- Plans to major in Operations Management
Career Statistics
| Year | Rounds | Strokes | Average | Low Round | Low 54-Hole Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 (Freshman) | 32 | 2,331 | 72.84 | 64 (-7) | 212 (-4) |
| 2022-23 (Sophomore) | 39 | 2,766 | 70.92 | 62 (-10) | 194 (-22) |
| 2023-24 (Junior) | 39 | 2,766 | 70.92 | 65 (-6) | 204 (-9) |
| 2024-25 (Senior) | 42 | 2,979 | 70.93 | 63 (-8) | 204 (-12) |
| Total | 152 | 10,842 | 71.33 | 62 (-10) | 194 (-22) |
Career Results
| 2021-22 (Freshman) | Tournament | Score | Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 17-19 | OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational ^ | 74-78-76 = 228 (+18) | T73 | |
| Oct. 3-4 | Milikin Country Club Classic ^ | 70-64 = 134 (-8) | 1 | |
| Oct. 17-19 | Isleworth Collegiate Invitational | 79-73-72 = 224 (+8) | T41 | |
| Feb. 14-15 | Mobile Bay Intercollegiate | 73-74-70 = 217 (+1) | T28 | |
| Feb. 27-March 1 | Southern Highlands Collegiate | 77-82-75 = 234 (+18) | 83 | |
| March 18-19 | National Invitational Tournament | 71-73-68 = 212 (-4) | T23 | |
| April 2-3 | Augusta Haskins Award Invitational | 72-74-71 = 217 (+1) | T25 | |
| April 9-10 | Boilermaker Invitational | 73-70-69 = 212 (-1) | T4 | |
| April 23-24 | Robert Kepler Intercollegiate | 69-68-75 = 212 (-4) | T8 | |
| April 29-May 1 | Big Ten Championship | 75-73-79 = 227 (+11) | T33 | |
| May 16-18 | NCAA New Haven Regional | 69-74-71 = 214 (+4) | T37 | |
| 2022-23 (Sophomore) | Tournament | Score | Finish | |
| Sept. 16-18 | OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational | 73-77-71 = 221 (+11) | T50 | |
| Sept. 26-28 | Folds of Honor Collegiate | 74-70-68 = 212 (-4) | T3 | |
| Oct. 17-18 | Dayton Flyer Invitational | 74-76-72 = 222 (+9) | T14 | |
| Oct. 23-25 | Isleworth Collegiate | 80-76-67 = 223 (+7) | T37 | |
| Feb. 13-14 | Mobile Bay Intercollegiate | 70-69-66 = 205 (-8) | T4 | |
| Feb. 26-28 | Southern Highlands Collegiate | 71-73-71 = 215 (-1) | T24 | |
| March 17-18 | National Invitational Tournament | 71-73-68 = 212 (-5) | T16 | |
| April 1-2 | Augusta Haskins Award Invitational | 70-69-71 = 210 (-6) | T8 | |
| April 10-11 | Tiger Collegiate Invitational | 66-62-66 = 194 (-22) | 1 | |
| April 22-23 | Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate | 78-71-70 = 219 (+6) | T11 | |
| April 28-30 | Big Ten Championship | 75-66 = 141 (-1) | T5 | |
| May 15-17 | NCAA Bath Regional | 74-69-75 = 218 (+5) | T43 | |
| May 26-31 | NCAA Championship | Stroke Play | 71-68-68-67 = 274 (-6) | T2 | |
| NCAA Championship | Match Play Quarterfinals (vs. Florida St.) | def. by Luke Clanton, 1 Up | |||
| 2023-24 (Junior) | Tournament | Score | Finish | |
| Sept. 9-10 | Sahalee Players Championship | 66-78-73 = 217 (+1) | T5 | |
| Sept. 15-17 | OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational | 74-71 = 145 (+5) | T44 | |
| Oct. 9-10 | Purdue Fall Invitational | 68-69-67 = 204 (-9) | T1 | |
| Oct. 16-17 | Flyer Invitational | 72-65-72 = 209 (-4) | T8 | |
| Oct. 30-31 | Cypress Point Classic: Round 1 (vs. Tennessee) | def. C. Surratt/J. Hill, 3&1 (w/ E. Wilson) | ||
| Cypress Point Classic: Round 2 (vs. Stanford) | def. by K. Vilips/K. Arora, 4&2 (w/ E. Wilson) | |||
| Cypress Point Classic: Round 3 (vs. Georgia Tech) | def. by A. Mao, 4&2 | |||
| Feb. 12-13 | Hal Williams Collegiate | 71-68-68 = 207 (-6) | 8 | |
| Feb. 25-27 | Southern Highlands Collegiate | 75-73-70 = 218 (+2) | T21 | |
| March 11-12 | The Johnnie-O at Sea Island | 67-75-73 = 215 (-1) | T26 | |
| March 25-26 | Duck Invitational | 73-67-67 = 207 (-6) | 1 | |
| April 6-7 | Augusta Haskins Award Invitational | 70-66-74 = 210 (-6) | T3 | |
| April 20-21 | Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate | 74-71-72 = 217 (+4) | T7 | |
| April 26-28 | Big Ten Championship | 71-71-70 = 212 (+2) | 2 | |
| May 13-15 | NCAA Stanford Regional | 65-74-72 = 211 (+1) | T34 | |
| May 26-31 | NCAA Championship | Stroke Play | 78-72-72-72 = 294 (+6) | T31 | |
| NCAA Championship | Match Play Quarterfinals (vs. Georgia Tech) | vs. Kale Fontenot, Unfinished | |||
| 2024-25 (Senior) | Tournament | Score | Finish | |
| Sept. 9-11 | Folds of Honor Collegiate | 70-70-66 = 206 (-7) | 3 | |
| Sept. 20-22 | OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational | 70-73-76 = 219 (+9) | T55 | |
| Sept. 29-30 | Windon Memorial Classic | 70-75-67 = 212 (-1) | T10 | |
| Oct. 19-21 | Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational | 75-68-66 = 209 (-7) | 1 | |
| Oct. 26-27 | Steelwood Collegiate Invitational | 67-67-70 = 204 (-12) | 3 | |
| Feb. 13-15 | John A. Burns Intercollegiate | 66-70-70 = 206 (-4) | T8 | |
| March 2-4 | Southern Highlands Collegiate | 76-76-73 = 225 (+9) | T39 | |
| March 17-18 | Pauma Valley Invitational | 68-72-68 = 208 (-5) | T7 | |
| March 31-April 1 | Memphis Intercollegiate | 76-78-71 = 225 (+9) | T16 | |
| April 5-6 | Augusta Haskins Award Invitational | 72-72-69 = 213 (-3) | T12 | |
| April 19-20 | Boilermaker Invitational | 71-66-68 = 205 (-8) | T3 | |
| April 25-27 | Big Ten Championship | 72-74-73 = 219 (+9) | T3 | |
| May 12-14 | NCAA Urbana Regional | 63-73-71 = 207 (-6) | T5 | |
| May 23-26 | NCAA Championship | Stroke Play | 73-72-76- – = 221 (+5) | T86 | |
^ - Competed as an individual and did not count toward team score
Illini Men's Golf | Jackson Buchanan Senior Thank You Interview
Wednesday, June 11
Illini Men's Golf | NCAA Championship Hype Video
Thursday, May 22
Illini Men's Golf | NCAA Urbana Regional Recap
Friday, May 16
Illini Men's Golf | Ryan Voois Eagle Putt at NCAA Urbana Regional
Wednesday, May 14
