NCAA Golf News

Five Illini, Small Earn Big Ten Postseason Awards

Five Illini, Small Earn Big Ten Postseason Awards


ROSEMONT, Ill. — Fighting Illini men’s golf was recognized by the Big Ten on Wednesday morning as the conference announced its annual postseason awards.

Fifth-year senior Adrien Dumont de Chassart was again the unanimous selection for the conference’s top honor as he captured his third consecutive Big Ten Golfer of the Year award. Dumont de Chassart was joined on the Big Ten All-Conference first team by fellow fifth-year seniors Tommy Kuhl and Matthis Besard, and sophomore Jackson Buchanan. Junior Piercen Hunt was tabbed as a second-team All-Big Ten performer. Kuhl was also named as the Illini’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the second time, and head coach Mike Small took home his record 13th Big Ten Coach of the Year laurel.

Dumont de Chassart, who last week was selected as Illinois’ Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, takes home the Illinois program’s 14th Big Ten Golfer of the Year award. In doing so, he becomes the first Illini men’s athlete to win his sport’s Big Ten Athlete of the Year honor three times, and joins Illini volleyball Hall of Famer Mary Eggers, who won Big Ten Volleyball Player of the Year in 1986, 1987, and 1988, as only the second Illinois athlete to complete the feat. Overall, he is just the third golfer in Big Ten history to take home the award three times, joining Randy Leen of Indiana (from 1996-98) and Luke Donald of Northwestern (from 1999-2001).

Dumont de Chassart, is a unanimous first-team All-B1G selection for the second straight year, his fourth-career all-conference award following first-team nods in 2021 and 2022, and a second-team selection as a freshman in 2019. A 2023 Ben Hogan Award semifinalist, Dumont de Chassart is coming off of his fourth All-Big Ten Championship Team performance with a tie for fifth to help lead the Illini to their eighth consecutive Big Ten title at Galloway (N.J.) National Golf Club last weekend. Following the rain-shortened event in which the Illini won by 17 strokes over just 36 holes, Dumont de Chassart was presented with his second straight Les Bolstad Award as the golfer with the league’s best average (69.63), the lowest mark on record since the award’s inception in 1974 and on pace to set the program record he established last season. Dumont de Chassart captured his fourth collegiate victory this season at the Fighting…

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