No. 4 Illini Tee Off at Fighting Irish Classic
October 3, 2026 | Men's Golf
PREVIEW
| No. 4 Illinois at Fighting Irish Classic | |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Fighting Irish Classic |
| Date | Oct. 4-5 |
| Location | Notre Dame, Ind. |
| Course | Warren Golf Course (Par 70 / 7,023 Yards) |
| Live Scoring | Clippd Scoreboard |
| Illinois | Roster | Schedule |
| Shop | Fighting Illini Store |
| Social Media | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 4-ranked Fighting Illini men's golf team, coming off a runner-up team finish at the 20th OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational, returns to action Sunday and Monday with a new test at the Fighting Irish Classic.
THE SETTING
The Fighting Irish Classic will be contested at Notre Dame's Warren Golf Course, just northeast of the UND campus. The links-style course is comfortably nestled on 250 wooded acres and is expertly preserved as a wildlife habitat, having received the coveted Audubon International certification. Lush fescue fairways, softly rolling terrain and the golden dome in the background make the course a beauty to behold. The Par-70 championship layout for the tournament will stretch 7,023 yards.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 54-hole tournament will be contested over two days. Teams will play 36 holes on Sunday beginning with a shotgun start slated for 8:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. CT. Monday's final round will open with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. ET/7 a.m. CT.
THE FIELD
The Fighting Irish Classic features a strong field, including six Big Ten programs. The fourth-ranked Illini are joined by ranked programs from North Carolina (14), host Notre Dame (16), Texas A&M (22), and UCLA (23). Augusta, Georgia Southern, Iowa, Michigan State, and Purdue are also receiving votes in the GCAA Coaches Poll. Cal, Indiana, Kent State, and Louisville round out the field.
FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
No. 1: Max Herendeen
No. 2: Jake Birdwell
No. 3: Dane Huddleston
No. 4: Trey Marrion
No. 5: Freddie Turnell
PRESEASON HONORS
Senior Max Herendeen garnered preseason All-America honors leading up to the 2026-27 season. Herendeen was tabbed as a second team honoree by Golf Channel and third team by Golfweek, while also being named to the Haskins Award preseason watch list. Fellow senior Dane Huddleston, and junior Trey Marrion also joined Herendeen on the Big Ten's Golfers to Watch list.
ILLINI AT THE FIGHTING IRISH CLASSIC
Illinois returns to the Fighting Irish Classic for the first time since claiming the team title in 2018. The Orange and Blue carded an 808 (-44) to win by 10 strokes. Four Illini – Giovanni Tadiotto (T4th), Bryan Baumgarten (T4th), Michael Feagles (6th), and Adrien Dumont de Chassart (T10th) – carded top-10 individual finishes.
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for the Fighting Irish Classic will be available on Clippd Scoreboard. A Recap and results will be posted on FightingIllini.com following each day of play.
UP NEXT
Following play in Notre Dame, the Illini travel south to the Gulf Coast to tee off in the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational, co-hosted by Mississippi State, Southern Miss, and Ole Miss at Fallen Oak at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino's Fallen Oak Course in Saucier, Mississippi, Oct. 17-19. Illinois will compete in the event for the third consecutive season after posting a runner-up finish behind medalist Jackson Buchanan in 2024 and placing third in 2025 led by a runner-up finish from Herendeen.
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