Illini Battle Through Windy Day 2 at Southern Highlands

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – With scores up across the board throughout a windy Round 2 at the Southern Highlands Collegiate on Monday, the Fighting Illini men’s golf team slid into a tie for sixth but remains in the hunt with 18 holes remaining in one of collegiate golf’s strongest fields.

After opening in a tie for second with an 8-under 280 on Sunday, the Orange and Blue posted a team score of 302 (+14) on Day 2, led Jackson Buchanan’s 73 (+1). The junior was one of only 14 golfers in the 85-player field to improve his score from Round 1 to Round 2, shaving two strokes off his opening 75 (+3), despite the windy conditions, to move 17 spots up the individual leaderboard into a tie for 43^rd.

Three other Illini remain inside the top 30 after two rounds, paced by fifth-year senior Tyler Goecke, who was tied for second following an opening 67 (-5) before posting a 76 (+4) in Round 2 to move into a tie for 11^th at 143 (-1). Goecke is seven shots off the pace of individual leader Jack Lundin (-8) of Missouri.

Illini freshman Max Herendeen matched Goecke’s 76 (+4) on Monday, moving into a tie for 22^nd at 145 (+1) through 36 holes. Sophomore Ryan Voois is one shot behind Herendeen in a tie for 26^th, rounding out the Day 2 scoring for the Illini with a 77 (+5), while senior Piercen Hunt sits in a tie for 76^th at 158 (+14) entering Tuesday’s finale.

The Illini, ranked No. 16 in the latest GCAA Coaches poll and No. 20 in the NCAA Division I team rankings, are one of 13 teams in the 15-team field to come into the tournament inside the top 50 in the NCAA metric.

With 18 holes remaining 15^th-ranked Oklahoma sits atop the team leaderboard as the only program under par with a 575 (-1). Illinois is seven strokes behind the Sooners in a tie with No. 2 Auburn at 582 (+6). No. 1 North Carolina is solo second at 578 (+2), one shot ahead of No. 16 Florida…