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University of Illinois Athletics

2023-24 Men's Golf Roster

Ben Solomon / Big Ten Conference
Paige Apkarian / Illinois Athletics
Craig Pessman / Illinois Athletics
Paige Apkarian / Illinois Athletics
Paige Apkarian / Illinois Athletics
Danny Mattie / Illinois Athletics
Danny Mattie / Illinois Athletics
Big Ten Conference

Piercen Hunt

  • Class Senior
  • Height 6-0
  • Hometown Hartland, Wisconsin
  • High School Arrowhead High School
  • Twitter PiercenHunt
  • Instagram piercen_hunt

Biography

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Two-Time PING All-Midwest Region (2022, 2023)
  • Two-Time All-Big Ten Second Team (2022, 2023)
  • Two-Time GCAA All-America Scholar (2022, 2023)
  • Three-Time Spring Academic All-Big Ten (2022, 2023, 2024)

SENIOR - 2023-24

  • Played in the lineup in five of the team's 13 stroke play tournaments, and appeared in six others as an individual competitor
  • Eighth on the team with a stroke average of 72.75 over 33 rounds
  • Recorded three top-5 and four top-10 finishes highlighted by his third-place finish as an indy at the Hal Williams Collegiate (Feb. 12-13) with an 8-under 205 (68-65-72) in which he carded his season-best round and 54-hole score
  • Also finished T3 at the Johnnie-O Individual (March 11-12) with a 2-under 211 (74-67-70) 
  • Finished T19 at the 2024 Big Ten Championship (April 26-28), his third-consecutive top-20 finish at the conference tourney
  • Tied for 28th at the NCAA Stanford Regional to help the Illini to the program's sixth regional title with an even-par 210 (73-65-72) 
  • Finished T53 at the NCAA Championship to help Illinois to first place in stroke play
  • Carded 10 of 33 rounds at par or better on the season, including six rounds in the 60s

JUNIOR - 2022-23

  • Second-Team All-Big Ten selection and GCAA PING All-Midwest Region
  • Played in the lineup in 12 of 13 tournaments
  • Fifth on the team with a stroke average of 72.17
  • Recorded five top-15 individual finishes on the season, at the Folds of Honor Collegiate (T11th), the Hal Williams Collegiate (T12th), the Tiger Collegiate Invitational (5th), the Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate (3rd), and the Big Ten Championship (T13th)
  • Shot a career-low score of 64 (-8) in the second round of the Tiger Collegiate Invitational, helping the Illini to a school-record for a 54-hole team score, and finished with a tournament score of 202 (-14), a personal best for a 54-hole collegiate event
  • Carded 17 of 36 rounds at par or better on the season, including six rounds in the 60s

SUMMER - 2022

  • Tied for 51st at the 69th Sunnehanna Amateur (June 15-18)
  • Competed at the 60th Northeast Amateur (June 22-25), the Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship (July 6-9), and the 116th Southern Amateur at Sea Island Golf Club (July 13-16)
  • Teed off at the 120th Western Amateur (Aug. 2-6)
  • Won local qualifier (July 1) at Watertown Country Club in Watertown, Wis., to punch ticket to the 122nd U.S. Amateur (Aug. 15-21) at Ridgewood in Paramus, N.J.

SOPHOMORE - 2021-22

  • Played in the lineup in all 12 tournaments
  • Named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and PING All-Midwest Region
  • Third on the team with a stroke average of 71.94, more than a full stroke better than his freshman average of 73.20
  • Recorded top-20 finishes in six of 12 tournaments
  • Won the first tournament of his collegiate career at the prestigious Isleworth Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 17-19) after tallying career-low single-round scores of 68 (-4) in Rounds 1 and 3, and finishing with a career-best 54-hole tally of 209 (-7)
  • Win at Isleworth was part of a stretch with three consecutive top-10 finishes including a tie for fourth at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 4-6), and a tie for seventh at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate (Feb. 14-15). 
  • Also closed the regular season with back-to-back top-10 finishes with a tie for ninth at the Boilermaker Invitational (April 9-10) and a tie for sixth at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate (April 23-24)
  • Tied for ninth at the Big Ten Championship (April 29 - May 1)
  • Ranked tied for second on the team with 19 rounds of par or better on the year
  • Recorded nine rounds in the 60s, third-most on the team
  • Placed as Illinois top finisher in two events, winning the Isleworth just two weeks after tying for fourth at the Blessings Collegiate 
  • Named B1G Golfer of the Week: Oct. 20, 2021

SUMMER - 2021 

  • Won the 120th Wisconsin State Amateur Championship (July 19-22) by six strokes with a 72-hole total of 279 (-1) after carding rounds of 68-72-70-69 at Westmoor Country Club in Brookfield, Wis.
  • Placed 47th at The Western Amateur Championship (July 26-31)
  • Finished third at the Wisconsin State Open (Aug. 16-18)

FRESHMAN - 2020-21 

  • Competed in 15 rounds over five events as an individual competitor
  • Ranked sixth on the team with a stroke average of 73.20
  • Recorded eight of his 15 rounds at par or better
  • Notched three top-25 individual finishes
  • Posted a season-best finish with a tie for 4th at the Boilermaker Individual (April 10-11)
  • Closed the Boilermaker Individual with back-to-back rounds of a season-best 70 (-2) in Rounds 2 and 3 to card a season-best 54-hole total of 213 (-3)
  • Traveled to Big Ten Championship at Crooked Stick (April 30-May 2), the NCAA Stillwater Regional at Karsten Creek (May 17-18), and the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club as the team’s alternate, but did not compete

HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR 

  • Won the 2019 Western Junior
  • Two-time WIAA Division I State High School individual champion
  • Won the 2018 WSGA Wisconsin State Junior Championship
  • Finished in the runner-up spot at the 2018 AJGA Junior at Big Sky
  • Earned top-10 finishes in five AJGA events, and was named a 2019 AJGA Rolex Junior All-American Second Team honoree
  • Recognized as the 2018 Wisconsin Junior PGA Player of the Year
  • Finished among the top 10 at the 2019 Wisconsin State Amateur Championship

PERSONAL

  • Son of Paul and Julie Hunt
  • Born Sept. 24, 2001 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Played hockey growing up
  • Also lived in the Netherlands
  • Majoring in Business

Career Statistics

Year Rounds Strokes Average Low Round Low 54-Hole Score
2020-21 (Freshman) 15 1,098 73.20 70 (-2) 213 (-3)
2021-22 (Sophomore) 36 2,590 71.91 68 (-4) 209 (-7)
2022-23 (Junior) 36 2,598 72.17 64 (-8) 202 (-14)
2023-24 (Senior) 33 2,401 72.75 65 (-6) 205 (-8)
Total 120 8,687 72.39 64 (-8) 202 (-14)

Career Results

2020-21 (Freshman) Tournament Score Finish
Feb. 14-16 Mobile Bay Intercollegiate ^ 80-72-76 = 228 (+12) T13
March 15-16 National Invitational Tournament ^ 72-72-72 = 216 (E) T13
March 20-21 National Invitational Tournament ^ 71-74-76 = 221 (+5) T74
March 10-11 Boilermaker Invitational ^ 73-70-70 = 213 (-3) T4
April 24-25 Robert Kepler Intercollegiate ^ 76-71-73 = 220 (+7) T25
2021-22 (Sophomore) Tournament Score Finish
Sept. 5-6 Hoosier Collegiate Invitational 74-79-73 = 226 (+13) T40
Sept. 17-19 OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational  76-69-75 = 220 (+10) T42
Oct. 4-6 Blessings Collgiate Invitational 69-69-71 = 209 (-7) T4
Oct. 17-19 Isleworth Collegiate Invitational  68-73-68 = 209 (-7) 1
Feb. 14-15 Mobile Bay Intercollegiate  73-70-69 = 212 (-4) T7
Feb. 27-March 1 Southern Highlands Collegiate 80-70-71 = 221 (+5) T62
March 18-19 National Invitational Tournament 70-74-73 = 217 (+1) T53
April 2-3 Augusta Haskins Award Invitational 70-70-76 = 216 (E) T23
April 9-10 Boilermaker Invitational 69-74-72 = 215 (+2) T9
April 23-24 Robert Kepler Intercollegiate 70-72-69 = 211 (-5) T6
April 29-May 1 Big Ten Championship 74-75-72 = 221 (+5) T9
May 16-18 NCAA New Haven Regional 64-76-73 = 213 (+3) 36
2022-23 (Junior) Tournament Score Finish
Sept. 16-17 OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational 70-77-72 = 219 (+9) T43
Sept. 26-28 Folds of Honor Collegiate 75-69-73 = 217 (+1) T11
Oct. 17-16 Dayton Flyer Invitational 74-78-78 = 230 (+17) T39
Oct. 23-25 Isleworth Collegiate 77-72-73 = 222 (+6) T34
Feb. 13-14 Hal Williams Collegiate 69-68-72 = 209 (-4) T12
Feb. 26-28 Southern Highlands Collegiate 70-75-71 = 216 (E) T28
March 17-18 National Invitational Tournament 71-74-74 = 219 (+3) T55
April 10-11 Tiger Collegiate Invitational 70-64-68 = 202 (-14) 5
April 22-23 Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate 74-70-70 = 214 (+1) 3
April 28-30 Big Ten Championship 76-68 = 144 (+2) T13
May 15-17 NCAA Bath Regional 70-71-70 = 211 (-2) T18
May 26-31 NCAA Championship | Stroke Play 74-75-73-73 = 295 (+15) T74
NCAA Championship | Match Play Quarterfinals (vs. Florida St.)  def. by Brett Roberts, 3&2
2023-24 (Senior) Tournament Score Finish
Sept. 9-10 Sahalee Players Championship 75-72-81 = 228 (+12) T46
Sept. 15-17 OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational ^ 73-75 = 148 (+8) T68
Oct. 9-10 Purdue Fall Invitational ^ 74-72-71 = 217 (+4) T30
Oct. 30-31 Cypress Point Classic: Round 1 (vs. Tennessee) def by. E. Woosley-Reed/L. Simpson, 3&1 (w/ T. Crawford)
Cypress Point Classic: Round 2 (vs. Stanford) tied S. Dobson/J. Beber-Frankel, Halved (w/ T. Crawford)
Cypress Point Classic: Round 3 (vs. Georgia Tech) def. C. Brown, 9&7
Feb. 12-13 Hal Williams Collegiate ^ 68-65-72 = 205 (-8) 3
Feb. 25-27 Southern Highlands Collegiate 77-81-76 = 234 (+18) T77
March 11-12 The Johnnie-O Individual ^ 74-67-70 = 211 (-2) T3
April 6-7 Highland Meadows Spring Collegiate ^  68-67-72 = 207 (-6) T4
April 20-21 Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate 70-76-71 = 217 (+4) T7
April 26-28 Big Ten Championship 73-73-79 = 225 (+15) T19
May 13-15 NCAA Stanford Regional 73-65-72 = 210 (E) T28
May 26-31 NCAA Championship | Stroke Play 73-78-70-78 = 299 (+11) T53
NCAA Championship | Match Play Quarterfinals (vs. Georgia Tech)  def. by Aidan Tran, 3&2

^ - Competed as an individual and did not count toward team score

Historical Player Information

  • 2020-21Freshman

  • 2021-22Sophomore

    6'0"
  • 2022-23Junior

    6'0"
  • 2023-24Senior

    6'0"