Illinois Men’s Golf Advances to Tenth Consecutive NCAA Tournament

After battling through 40mph wind gusts and one of the toughest courses in the country, the Fighting Illini Men’s Golf team qualified for their tenth consecutive NCAA Tournament.

Illinois held the sixth position heading into Wednesday’s final round at the West Lafayette regional, and closed a five-shot gap on a wild, come-from-behind finish. The Orange and Blue finished at +14, good for third. UNLV, Auburn, New Mexico, and Purdue were the other qualifiers from the regional.

Junior standout Nick Hardy earned co-medalist honors, and led the team in scoring with a 3-under par total of 213. Freshman Giovanni Tadiotto finished with a final round 74, while Junior Dylan Meyer and Sophomore Edoardo Lipparelli fired a pair of final round 75’s to close out the scoring for Illinois. Big Ten Freshman of the year Michael Feagles also contributed a crucial 76 in the second round to help keep the Illini within striking distance for Wednesday’s final round.

Illinois will travel to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, IL for the NCAA Tournament at the end of May. The first round begins on May 26th, with tee times starting at 6:45am. More information about the event and a course preview will be coming as the event gets closer. Make sure to follow us on twitter for live event updates and information!

Here are some sights and sounds from Wednesday’s final round: