MAX HERENDEEN

No. 12 Fighting Illini men's golf closed out the team's first victory of the season in the final event of the fall schedule, firing a three-round team score of 834 (-30) to claim a two-stroke win at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational at Steelwood Country Club. 
 

The Illini opened the event Saturday with team's lowest single round of the season, a 12-under 276. And after a Round 2 tally of 283 (-5) on Saturday afternoon, the Orange and Blue bested their opening mark in Round 3 with a closing 275 (-13) on Sunday.
 

Sophomore Max Herendeen recorded the top Round 3 score for the Illini to make a big jump up the leaderboard. Herendeen's 66 (-6) and his three-round total of 209 (-7) both marked season bests as he moved up 15 spots into a T8 finish. 

Fighting Illini men's golfer Max Herendeen has been selected as one of five first-year players nationally on the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA ) All-Freshman Team.

Herendeen, who has garnered GCAA PING All-Midwest Region honors and was a unanimous selection as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first team All-Big Ten, is coming off a sensational postseason run.

The Bellevue, Washington, native capped his first collegiate campaign by winning the NCAA Stanford Regional and finishing tied for second in stroke play at the NCAA Division I Championship. Herendeen also captured a runaway victory in his match during the NCAA Championship match play quarterfinals, defeating Georgia Tech's Carson Kim, 5&4.

Max Herendeen completed his freshman season with the Illini by earning a runner-up finish at the 2024 NCAA Championship. He carded a four-round total of 286 (-2) to finish one-stroke behind individual champion Hiroshi Tai of Georgia Tech. He was also named to the NCAA Championship All-American team.

The Fighting Illini also captured the #1 seed heading into match play and will play #8 seed Georgia Tech.

 

Herendeen fires 13-under par 197 total to claim victory at Stanford Regional. He becomes the fifth different Illini to capture the program's now sixth NCAA Regional Medalist honor, joining Michael Feagles (2019 Myrtle Beach), Nick Hardy (2017 West Lafayette), two-time regional winner Brian Campbell (2015 Noblesville and 2014 Sugar Grove), and Luke Guthrie (2011 Central).

Additionally, the No. 18-ranked Fighting Illini captured the team title and punched its ticket through to the 2024 NCAA Championship at Omni LaCosta Resort on May 24-29.

 

Max Herendeen closed out the 2023 calendar year with a 206 (-4) total and a T12 finish at the Patriot All-American held Dec 29-31 at Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, AZ. 

 The Patriot All-America Invitational features PING All-Americans from the previous season in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and NJCAA; as well as 2022 First Team All-America Seniors from the AJGA and other special invitees. 

Conducted in a partnership with the GCAA, WGCA, the West Valley Mavericks, The Patriot All-America LLC and the Arizona Golf Association, The Patriot All-America honors fallen or severely wounded soldiers and first responders in collaboration with the Folds of Honor Foundation. 

Coming off a T13 finish at the Fighting Illini Olympia Fields Invitational, Herendeen continued his solid play with rounds of 72-66-71 (-4) to finish in a tie for 6th. Fellow Illini Jackson Buchanan claimed the individual title with a score of -9.

The Fighting Illini moved up four place in the team competition during the final round to finish in a tie for 3rd.

Max Herendeen fired rounds of 74-64-73 (-5) to finish individually in a tie for first place, helping lead the Fighting Illini to the overall team title at the inaugural Sahalee Players Championship at Sahalee CC in Redmond, WA.
 
With a PGA Tour exemption to the Fortinet Championship on the line, Herendeen was narrowly edged out in a sudden-death playoff by Preston Summerhays of Arizona St.