Illinois Fighting Illini men's golf

The Illinois Fighting Illini men's golf team represents the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the sport of golf. The Fighting Illini compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big Ten Conference (Big Ten). They play their home matches at the Atkins Golf Club, which is located five miles from the university's campus. The Fighting Illini are currently led by head coach Mike Small. The Fighting Illini men's golf program has won 20 Big Ten championships, including the last eight consecutively, and in 2013 finished as national runner-up at the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, which was the highest finish in the program's history. The Fighting Illini have qualified for the match play portion of the NCAA Championship 8 times since the stroke play/match play format was introduced in 2009, and reached the Final Four in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.[2]

Illinois Fighting Illini men's golf
UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
ConferenceBig Ten
Head coach
LocationUrbana, Illinois
CourseAtkins Golf Club
Par: 72
Yards: 7,118
NicknameFighting Illini
ColorsOrange and blue[1]
   
NCAA individual champions
Scott Langley (2010)
Thomas Pieters (2012)
NCAA runner-up
2013
NCAA match play
2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023
NCAA Championship appearances
1940, 1941, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
Conference champions
1923, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1940, 1941, 1988, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Individual conference champions
R.E. Rolfe (1923)
Richard Martin (1930, 1931)
Alex Welsh (1941)
James McCarthy (1942)
Mike Toluiuszis (1962)
Mike Chadwick (1982)
Steve Stricker (1986, 1988, 1989)
Jamie Fairbanks (1993)
Larry Nuger (1999)
Luke Guthrie (2011, 2012)
Thomas Pieters (2013)
Charlie Danielson (2014)
Nick Hardy (2015, 2018)
Thomas Detry (2016)
Dylan Meyer (2017)
Adrien Dumont de Chassart (2019)

The Fighting Illini have won 13 of the last 14 Big Ten Golf Championships. Illinois golfers won the Big Ten Individual Conference Title for nine consecutive seasons (2011−2019).

Individual honors

National champions

All-Americans
  • Joe Burden – 1972 (HM)
  • Marty Schiene – 1979 (HM)
  • Mike Chadwick – 1983 (HM)
  • Steve Stricker – 1987 (HM), 1988 (1st), 1989 (1st)
  • D. A. Points – 1999 (3rd)
  • James Lepp – 2002 (HM), 2003 (2nd)
  • Patrick Nagle – 2003 (3rd)
  • Scott Langley – 2009 (2nd), 2010 (1st), 2011 (HM)
  • Chris DeForest – 2011 (HM)
  • Luke Guthrie – 2011 (1st), 2012 (2nd)
  • Thomas Pieters – 2012 (1st), 2013 (HM)
  • Charlie Danielson – 2013 (HM), 2014 (HM), 2015 (2nd), 2016 (1st)
  • Thomas Detry – 2014 (HM), 2015 (2nd), 2016 (2nd)
  • Brian Campbell – 2014 (2nd), 2015 (2nd)
  • Dylan Meyer – 2016 (HM), 2017 (1st), 2018 (2nd)
  • Nick Hardy – 2017 (2nd), 2018 (1st)
  • Michael Feagles – 2019 (HM), 2021 (2nd)
  • Jerry Ji – 2021 (HM)
  • Adrien Dumont de Chassart – 2021 (2nd), 2022 (2nd), 2023 (1st)
  • Tommy Kuhl - 2023 (1st)
  • Jackson Buchanan - 2023 (1st)

Note: 1st = first team, 2nd = second team, 3rd = third team, HM = honorable mention

Other

Since 1923, sixteen Fighting Illini golfers have won twenty-one Big Ten individual titles.[3] Thirty-nine Fighting Illini golfers have received All-Big Ten honors.

Coaching staff

Mike Small is the head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini men's golf team, and 2022-2023 will be his 22nd season with the Fighting Illini.[4] He has been named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year a record thirteen times and is also an eleven time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year as named by the Golf Coaches Association of America. As a professional, Small is a record-tying three time PGA Professional National Champion and has won the Illinois PGA Championship a record-setting twelve times.[5]

Notable alumni

Facilities

Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility

Opened in 2007, the university's $5.2 million, 14,150-square-foot Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility features a 6,300-square-foot putting, chipping, and pitching area that includes sand bunkers and different strains of artificial grass, six heated hitting bays which open onto the range, team locker rooms, coaches offices and a team lounge.[6][7] Prior to the completion of the Demirjian Indoor Golf Practice Facility, indoor practice's were typically held in the basement of Huff Hall on an old handball court.[8] In 2008, the facility received an Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects Illinois Chapter in the Architecture Design Award Category.[9]

Lauritsen/Wohlers Outdoor Golf Practice Facility

Construction on the $2 million, 24 acre facility began during the summer of 2014, with a completion date in fall of 2014. Taking inspiration from the Augusta National Golf Club practice facility, the Lauritsen/Wohlers Outdoor Golf Practice Facility was designed by Fighting Illini head coach Mike Small, former Fighting Illini and PGA Tour professional Steve Stricker, and golf course architect Jeff Brauer. Training center with target fairways, target greens, fairway and greenside bunkers, putting greens, chipping greens and a wedge area[10] The outdoor facility is located directly adjacent to the Demirjian Indoor Practice Building.[11]

Atkins Golf Club

The Fighting Illini men's golf team host its home matches at the Atkins Golf Club, located in Urbana, Illinois 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of the university's campus.[12] The university course was originally designed by noted golf course architect Dick Nugent and his son Tim in 1999. The course is a 7,118-yard par 72, and the facilities include a practice and teaching center for the surrounding community. The Atkins Golf Club has hosted several Big Ten Conference men's and women's golf championships. Originally named Stone Creek Golf Club, the course was gifted to the University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics by The Atkins Group and renamed to the Atkins Golf Club on June 30, 2020.[13]

References
  1. "University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Visual Identity: Color". Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  2. {{cite web |url=https://fightingillini.com/documents/2023/1/17/22-23_M_GOLF_RECORD_BOOK.pdf
  3. "2022-2023 Fighting Illini Men's Golf Record Book" (PDF). Illinois DIA. 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  4. "Mike Small Profile". Illinois DIA. 2014. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  5. Ziehm, Len (October 1, 2014). "Will Elgin's Sainz defend Chicago Open title?". Chicago Daily Herald. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  6. Newport, John Paul (November 29, 2013). "How Snowbelt Schools Lure Top Golf Prospects Their Message: Bad weather Is Good for Your Game". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  7. Herrington, Ryan (December 28, 2009). "Northern Exposure". Golf Digest. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  8. Huth, Jeff (May 6, 2007). "New Demirjian facility gives program upper hand in recruiting". The News-Gazette. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  9. "American Institute of Architects, Central Illinois Chapter Honors 2008 Design Award Winners". American Institute of Architects. 2008. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  10. "UI Announces Lauritsen/Wohlers Outdoor Golf Practice Facility". University of Illinois DIA. June 11, 2014. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  11. "Illini golf facility to be "tour standard"". Nexstar Media Group. June 30, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  12. "Facilities". University of Illinois DIA. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  13. Richey, Scott (June 30, 2020). "UPDATE: UI, Atkins Group seal Stone Creek deal". The News-Gazette. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
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