COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 18 Fighting Illini men's golf team finished second at the 2024 Big Ten Championship on Sunday at Scioto Country Club, snapping the program's Big Ten-record streak of eight consecutive league titles.
The Illini carded a team total of 878 (+38), including Sunday's second-lowest final round of 292 (+12). But the Orange and Blue were unable cut into Northwestern's lead as the Wildcats closed out the 15-stroke victory in wire-to-wire fashion with a 54-hole total of 863 (+23), led by medalist Daniel Svard.
"Today was representative of the whole week," head coach Mike Small said. "Hats off to Northwestern. They controlled the narrative and the energy from Day 1. Nobody else played to that level. They had four guys finish in the top 10, that's just bringing it, and that's what winners do at this tournament - it has to be a total team effort. They were better from tee to green, better around the greens, and it was just a pretty decisive win. We didn't have much answer for that. Today was the same as the other two days. We had some good stretches, some good spots - maybe more good spots today - but we still played some loose golf that you shouldn't have this time of year."
Junior Jackson Buchanan earned All-Big Ten Championship Team honors for the second straight season, pacing Illinois with a score of 212 (+2) for a runner-up finish. Buchanan made a hard charge for medalist late in Round 3, and following back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, he moved into a tie atop the leaderboard. However, a bogey on 16 proved to be the difference as Buchanan carded par on 17 and 18 to finish his round with a 70 (E) and come up one stroke short of Svard's pace.
"Jackson competed," Small added. "He didn't have his best stuff from tee to green this week either - I think all of us struggled striking the ball for whatever reason - but he hit eight greens today and had a chance to win, so he competed well. He made a bogey on 16, which was unfortunate, but he hit two really good shots on the last two holes, just couldn't make a birdie. Again, you can't play defense, and the player ahead of him didn't make any mistakes. Jackson tried to chase him down, but couldn't quite catch him."
The Illini's trio of underclassmen – true freshmen Max Herendeen and Ethan Wilson and sophomore Ryan Voois – rounded out scoring in Round 3 behind Buchanan.
Herendeen carded a Round 3 total of 75 (+5) and finished second among the Illini competitors in a tie for 16th overall at 223 (+13). His finish marked the best for an Illini freshman at the Big Ten Championship since Adrien Dumont de Chassart's win in 2019.
Wilson posted Sunday's second-lowest score for the Illini with a 3-over 73 and was day's biggest mover as he ascended 19 spots up the leaderboard to finish tied for 30th at 227 (+17).
Voois finished one shot ahead of Wilson in a tie for 26th, closing out his weekend with a 74 (+4) to cap with a three-round total of 226 (+16).
Senior Piercen Hunt carded a final round of 79 (+9) and ranked third in the Illini lineup, overall, with a 54-hole tally of 225 (+15) to finish tied for 19th. It marked Hunt's third-career top-20 finish at the Big Ten Championships.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini now turn their attention to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with regional selections set to be announced as part of Golf Channel's College Central coverage on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. Illinois will compete at a regional for the 16th consecutive season and the 19th time under Small's guidance.
The 2024 NCAA Regionals are slated for May 13-15 at six sites: Birck Boilermaker Golf Course (West Lafayette, Ind.; host: Purdue), The Farms Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; host: San Diego), Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.; host: Stanford), UNC Finley Golf Course (Chapel Hill, N.C.; host: North Carolina), University Club (Baton Rouge, La.; host: LSU), and The University of Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas; host: Texas).
The Illini carded a team total of 878 (+38), including Sunday's second-lowest final round of 292 (+12). But the Orange and Blue were unable cut into Northwestern's lead as the Wildcats closed out the 15-stroke victory in wire-to-wire fashion with a 54-hole total of 863 (+23), led by medalist Daniel Svard.
"Today was representative of the whole week," head coach Mike Small said. "Hats off to Northwestern. They controlled the narrative and the energy from Day 1. Nobody else played to that level. They had four guys finish in the top 10, that's just bringing it, and that's what winners do at this tournament - it has to be a total team effort. They were better from tee to green, better around the greens, and it was just a pretty decisive win. We didn't have much answer for that. Today was the same as the other two days. We had some good stretches, some good spots - maybe more good spots today - but we still played some loose golf that you shouldn't have this time of year."
Junior Jackson Buchanan earned All-Big Ten Championship Team honors for the second straight season, pacing Illinois with a score of 212 (+2) for a runner-up finish. Buchanan made a hard charge for medalist late in Round 3, and following back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, he moved into a tie atop the leaderboard. However, a bogey on 16 proved to be the difference as Buchanan carded par on 17 and 18 to finish his round with a 70 (E) and come up one stroke short of Svard's pace.
"Jackson competed," Small added. "He didn't have his best stuff from tee to green this week either - I think all of us struggled striking the ball for whatever reason - but he hit eight greens today and had a chance to win, so he competed well. He made a bogey on 16, which was unfortunate, but he hit two really good shots on the last two holes, just couldn't make a birdie. Again, you can't play defense, and the player ahead of him didn't make any mistakes. Jackson tried to chase him down, but couldn't quite catch him."
The Illini's trio of underclassmen – true freshmen Max Herendeen and Ethan Wilson and sophomore Ryan Voois – rounded out scoring in Round 3 behind Buchanan.
Herendeen carded a Round 3 total of 75 (+5) and finished second among the Illini competitors in a tie for 16th overall at 223 (+13). His finish marked the best for an Illini freshman at the Big Ten Championship since Adrien Dumont de Chassart's win in 2019.
Wilson posted Sunday's second-lowest score for the Illini with a 3-over 73 and was day's biggest mover as he ascended 19 spots up the leaderboard to finish tied for 30th at 227 (+17).
Voois finished one shot ahead of Wilson in a tie for 26th, closing out his weekend with a 74 (+4) to cap with a three-round total of 226 (+16).
Senior Piercen Hunt carded a final round of 79 (+9) and ranked third in the Illini lineup, overall, with a 54-hole tally of 225 (+15) to finish tied for 19th. It marked Hunt's third-career top-20 finish at the Big Ten Championships.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini now turn their attention to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with regional selections set to be announced as part of Golf Channel's College Central coverage on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. Illinois will compete at a regional for the 16th consecutive season and the 19th time under Small's guidance.
The 2024 NCAA Regionals are slated for May 13-15 at six sites: Birck Boilermaker Golf Course (West Lafayette, Ind.; host: Purdue), The Farms Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; host: San Diego), Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.; host: Stanford), UNC Finley Golf Course (Chapel Hill, N.C.; host: North Carolina), University Club (Baton Rouge, La.; host: LSU), and The University of Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas; host: Texas).
