Illini Men’s Golf in the Pros | June 3, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Six former Illini are in action this week, highlighted by head coach Mike Small teeing off alongside former teammate and longtime friend Steve Stricker on the PGA TOUR Champions.

PGA TOUR

Thomas Detry, currently ranked a career-high 52^nd in the Official World Golf Rankings, is set to tee off this week at the Memorial presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

It is his final tune-up before the U.S. Open, June 13-16 at Pinehurst. He was exempt from U.S. Open qualifying by virtue of his top-60 OWGR ranking. Detry also ranks inside the top 25 on the FedEx Cup standings at No. 23 entering play this week looking to add to his four top-10 finishes on the season.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Steve Stricker and Illini head coach Mike Small will compete this week at the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge Golf Club in Madison, Wisconsin.

Stricker is the defending champion at the event, one of six PGA TOUR Champions victories he notched on his way to Tour Player of the Year honors last season.

Sweet dreams. pic.twitter.com/ubDGFTya8b

— AmFam Championship (@amfamchamp) June 12, 2023

For Small, it marks his first PGA TOUR Champions event of the season. In his career, he has made the cut in 18 of 19 Champions Tour events, including each of his previous six appearances at the AmFam Championship. He posted his best finish in the event, a tie for 10^th, in 2018 and last season finished T22.

Earlier this week, Small earned his 13^th Midwest Coach of the Year honor from the GCAA.

He does it again.@MikeSmall4‘s honored as the 2024 GCAA Midwest Coach of the Year, the 13th regional coach of the year nod of his career.#Illini // #HTTO pic.twitter.com/Awpu2uAUEc

— Illinois Men’s Golf (@IlliniMGolf) June 4, 2024

KORN FERRY TOUR

Brian Campbell and Dylan Meyer are in action this week at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, looking to make it two years in a row for an Illini to hoist the trophy after Adrien Dumont de Chassart’s victory in his professional debut last season.

Campbell, who qualified along with current Illini Jackson Buchanan to join Thomas Detry at the U.S. Open next week, is in the midst of a stellar season. He currently ranks 11^th on the tour’s season-long points list with two top-10s and a runner-up finish via playoff to his credit.

The longest day in golf…