Illinois completes the program’s most overwhelming NCAA Regional win on its way to the NCAA Championships for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

May 15, 2024

Illinois has completed the program’s most dominant NCAA regional performance with an eight-stroke victory.

The three-day tournament represented the sixth NCAA regional title for the Illini under head coach Mike Small and the total of 36-under-par 804 is the second best 54-hole score in program history. The Illini's most recent regional title came in 2019 at Myrtle Beach. The Illini claimed four consecutive regional titles in 2013 (Fayetteville), 2014 (Sugar Grove), 2015 (Noblesville), and 2016 (Kohler), the longest streak in NCAA history prior to Oklahoma State's run of six consecutive from 2016-22.

After two days of competition where birdies could be found in bunches at the par-70, 6,727-yard Stanford (Calif.) Golf Course, the final round saw par as an excellent score. In these tough conditions, Illinois fired the best team round of the day at 9-under-par 271 where three of the four qualifying scorers were under par. The Illini increased its lead over Florida State from a single stroke to a comfortable double-digit advantage after the front nine scores were posted and Small’s squad cruised to easily the best 54-hole score in relation to par at any of the six NCAA regional sites this week.

"This was a total team effort, from top to bottom," Small said. "Illinois golf has always prided itself on each man doing his job, and this was a perfect example of that. Three players in the top 10, with Max winning. It was solid all the way around. This shows what's possible when we play from strength and play solid, fundamental golf. This is just another step and progression towards our yearly goals. We’ll enjoy this as a team, and then get ready for the next piece of the puzzle in a week and half."

A week after being named the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Max Herendeen used his first NCAA regional competition with Illinois as the site for his first individual victory. The 19-year-old completed a wire-to-wire, two-shot win by posting a 13-under-par. Herendeen’s three-day total of 197 tied the second-lowest 54-hole tournament score in program history and is the lowest 54-hole total ever recorded in postseason play. He also became the fifth different Illinois player to have captured the individual medalist honors at an NCAA regional competition. Previous Illini winners included Michael Feagles (2019 Myrtle Beach), Nick Hardy (2017 West Lafayette), Brian Campbell (2015 Noblesville and 2014 Sugar Grove), and Luke Guthrie (2011 Central).

Herendeen began the day tied with Florida State’s Luke Clanton and Texas A&M’s Phichaksn Maichon but took the lead for the final time by recording a birdie on the first hole of Wednesday morning’s action. Herendeen, who has consistently found excellent form in the state of California as his last win was the 2022 Coachella Amateur champion in Indio, Calif., led the entire field with 18 birdies this week.

Illinois fifth-year senior Tyler Goecke, a 23-year-old and two-time Horizon League Golfer of the Year selection while at Wright State University, posted his third consecutive under-par round of the week to finish in a tie for fifth place at 10-under-par.

Illinois sophomore Ryan Voois jumped 23 spots on the leaderboard with his final round 65 on Wednesday that included an eagle on the par-5, 539-yard seventh hole. Voois, who was making his first NCAA regional appearance this week, played the final 13 holes at 6-under-par to lead the Illini on the final day.

Florida State, which defeated Illinois last season in the quarterfinal match play round of the 2023 NCAA Championships and Texas A&M comfortably slotted into second and third place on Wednesday afternoon but the fight that got really interesting was for the last two transfer spots to the NCAA Championships at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

A 4-over-par 284 saw Mississippi tumble down the standings and ruined any chance of them moving on to next week. Stanford used its home course knowledge and a spectacular final round of 6-under 64 by Michael Thorbjornsen, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world amateur golf rankings, to slide into a tie for fourth with Southern Methodist. SMU, which arrived this week as the No. 7 seed, will play in the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2021 by nudging out Ole Miss by a single stroke. The Mustangs, which has produced professional golf stars such as Payne Stewart, Bryson DeChambeau and Harry Higgs were led by its No. 5 player Matthew Foster on Wednesday as the freshman made five birdies in his final 11 holes.

The Big Ten Conference not only took home the team and individual title of this 2024 NCAA Stanford Regional but also saw one of its stars advance as an individual as well. Minnesota senior Ben Warian will play in the NCAA Championships as an individual next week after finishing as the highest individual at this regional and just two strokes behind Herendeen on the medalist leaderboard.

2024 NCAA Stanford Regional Team Leaderboard (Top Five Advance to NCAA Championships)

ILLINOIS - 263-270-271--804 (-36)

Florida State - 267-267-278--812 (-28)

Texas A&M - 271-268-282--821 (-19)

Stanford - 269-284-277--830 (-10)

SMU - 285-265-280--830 (-10)

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Mississippi - 271-276-284--831 (-9)

UCLA - 277-280-278--835 (-5)

Augusta - 280-278-283--841 (+1)

UNLV - 281-277-289--847 (+7)

Missouri - 286-277-286--848 (+8)

Liberty - 286-286-281--853 (+13)

Fresno State - 286-284-290--858 (+18)

Sacramento State - 296-275-290--862 (+22)

Siena - 287-294-288--874 (+34)

ILLINOIS PLAYERS

T1 Max Herendeen 63-68-66--197 (-13)

T5 Tyler Goecke 65-67-68--200 (-10)

T10 Ryan Voois 70-70-65--205 (-5)

T28 Piercen Hunt 73-65-72--210 (E)

T34 Jackson Buchanan 65-74-72--211 (+1)