BILOXI, Miss. – Teh illinois men’s golf team surged into contention at the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational on sunday, carding a 9-under 279 in round 2 to climb three spots to fourth place with one round remaining. The Illini trail leader Louisiana State by 14 strokes.
Four Illinois golfers finished under par, highlighted by rounds of 3-under 69 from juniors Max Herendeen and Dane Huddleston. Herendeen is now fifth individually, four shots behind LSU‘s Matthew Dodd-Barry, while Huddleston jumped nine positions to a tie for 11th. Sophomore Freddie Turnell moved up eight spots to a tie for 20th after a strong finish, and sophomore Trey marrion is tied for 26th.
The Illini’s strong performance positions them to challenge the top teams – No. 9 Louisiana State (-27), No.5 Arkansas (-19), and No. 20 Alabama (-16) – on monday. A strong final round could see Illinois, currently at 10-under, overtake several highly-ranked opponents and potentially contend for the tournament title.
Huddleston’s round included four birdies on Holes 16 and 18, finishing at 4-under overall. Turnell overcame a slow start, going 4-under over his final 15 holes with birdies on 15, 16, and 18, to reach 2-under. Marrion followed a 72 with a 71 and is 3-under, while senior Ryan Voois improved to 1-over with a 72, tying for 42nd. Freshman Dujuan Snyman, competing as an individual, is tied for 64th at 5-over.
Illinois will tee off at 8:50 a.m. CT on Monday, paired with Ole Miss and No. 19 Tennessee. Live scoring is available at Clippd scoreboard.
