It is that time of year again, as the men’s Illinois golf team is starting its run at a national championship.
While the pinnacle of the sport has eluded the Illini over the years, the chances are not going away anytime soon. Head coach Mike Small has Illinois in the mix every year, and the 2025 season is no exception.
Illinois entered the Urbana Regional on Monday as the No. 14 team in the country. The 13-team regional includes some of the best teams in the country, too. No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 10 North Carolina, No. 23 Texas Tech, No. 26 Long Beach State, No. 35 UNLV, No. 38 Houston, and No. 47 Marquette are all involved in trying to advance to the national championship.
The three-round event teed off on Monday, and Illinois showed its power with an opening round score of -7. This leads the regional with the Red Raiders currently in second at -5 through the first 18 holes.
Jackson Buchanan has come out firing for the Illinois golf team at the NCAA Regional
Illinois’ No. 2 golfer, Jackson Buchanan, had one of the best rounds of his career in Champaign, as he shot an opening round 63. He went out in 33 and came in with a scorching 30 on the backside to finish the first round at -8.
It was a consistent round for Buchanan. He was flawless, as the star golfer had zero blemishes on the scorecard to go along with his eight birdies on the day.
Rounding out the Illini opening round 277, Ryan Vools shot a 70 and is -1 for the tournament. Max Herendeen was even par on the day, and Jake Birdwell shot a +2, 73.
Buchanan has a chance to do something pretty special. Through the first round, his -8 leads the regional, as he has a four-shot lead over Troy’s Jake Springer, who sits at -4. It would be amazing if he could not only get Illinois to advance to the NCAA championship, but he could also take home the regional medalist. There are still 36 holes to play, so there is a long way to go.