Illinois golf finishes second at Big Ten Championships after final-round surge
Illinois men’s golf finished second at the Big Ten Championships, posting a strong final round before falling to UCLA at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon.
Illinois men’s golf finished second at the Big Ten Championships on Sunday, closing with its best round of the week but falling four shots short of UCLA at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon.
The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s golf shot 9-under as a team in the final round to move up from third place and briefly reach the top of the leaderboard. Illinois finished at 4-under overall, while UCLA held on at 8-under to claim the team title for the second straight year.
Illinois made up ground throughout the day. Trey Marrion, who did not play Saturday due to illness, returned with a 5-under 65 that included six birdies. Ryan Voois followed with a 66, and Max Herendeen stayed within range into the back nine as the Illini pulled even late in the round.
“I told them after the round, I was very proud of them for what they did today,” head coach Mike Small said. “That was awesome. That’s what we’ve been looking for all year.
“But we also talked about the round yesterday. That is the reason why we were in this position. The way we competed today, the way we had that look on our face – and the determination today – you have to bring that every day.”
Illinois had chances to move in front but did not convert, and UCLA answered over the closing stretch to regain control.
Marrion’s round provided a lift after missing the second round.
“Trey was a horse today,” Small said. “Unfortunately, Trey was sick yesterday, so we substituted. For him to come back with that determination was awesome; to go out and do that was special. He led the charge, and to not have a guy shoot over par was what we needed.”
Voois and Herendeen each finished at 3-under for the tournament, tying for third and earning All-Championship Team honors. Freddie Turnell finished tied for 14th at 1-over, and Dane Huddleston tied for 34th at 6-over after an even-par round Sunday.
UCLA took control of the tournament with a low round on Saturday and managed the final day well enough to stay in front. The Bruins were led by freshman Josh Kim, who finished at 8-under to win the individual title by four shots. He was the only player in the field to shoot under par in all three rounds.
Illinois has now finished second at the conference tournament in three consecutive seasons.
The Illini will learn their NCAA regional assignment Wednesday, with postseason play scheduled to begin later this month.
