After an eighth-place finish in Knoxville to kick-off the 2024-2025 season, the No. 17-ranked Jackets (according to Bushnell/Golfweek D1 Coaches Poll) traveled up to the Chicago Suburbs to play in the Fighting Illini Invitational. This tournament, hosted at Olympia Fields Country Club (OFCC), perennially provides the Jackets with a championship test against a national caliber field. OFCC has hosted multiple major championships (both women’s and men’s), a U.S. Amateur Championship, and multiple recent FedEx Cup Playoff Events. Last year, Tech finished in third place in a weather- shortened event. For Tech to win at this historic venue, they would have to beat 14 other teams, including eight ranked above them nationally.
In the opening round, Tech came out on a heater by carding a team total 279 (-1). Redshirt junior Benjamin Reuter fired a 64 (-6) that included four birdies and back-to-back eagles on his 10th and 11th holes. Junior Hiroshi Tai shot a one-under 69. Reuter’s 64, beat his career-low by four shots and put him in a tie for first place with Arizona State’s Jose Luis Ballester. As a team, the Jackets found themselves in a tie for second place with an ACC rival in the University of North Carolina and familiar SEC foe in Florida but trailed first- place Arizona State by six shots. Foreseeing inclement weather in the forecast, the tournament officials made the decision to play the final 36 holes the next day.
The second round was an incredibly efficient team performance by the Jackets. Reuter backed up his career-low with an even-par 70, and Albert Hansson, the freshman standout from Sweden, shot a two-under 68. Defending National Champion Tai shot another 69 (-1) to put him at T-11. Despite Tech besting their first-round score by two strokes, Tech still found themselves losing ground to the Sun Devils. Heading into the final round, the Jackets would need to have their best round of the season to have any chance to defeat Arizona State.
After a short lunch break, the Jackets were back on the course starting with their two sophomores, Kale Fontenot and Carson Kim. Immediately, Fontenot carded three birdies in his first six holes to give the Jackets exactly the start they needed. The top four of Kim, Fontenot, Tai, and Reuter chased down the Sun Devils as the Jackets combined for seven under par through nine holes. With nine holes to go, Tech was tied for the lead. The Jackets experienced a scare when Reuter triple bogeyed the 1st hole, but bounce-back birdies on 15 and 16 kept the Jackets slightly ahead. Soon later, the horn blew for darkness and all players except for Reuter’s group were finished in the clubhouse. Tai shot 69 (-1) again, and Kim and Fontenot fired 69 (-1) and 66 (-4) respectively to give the Jackets a two-shot lead in the clubhouse. Reuter, in second individually, would have to finish his last two holes next morning to determine both the individual and team champion.
Early the next morning, Reuter went back out in the rain to hole 17 to try and close off the team win. After a par on 17, Reuter entered the last hole of the tournament with Tech leading by two but trailing by one for the individual title. He closed out on 18th with a bogey, but a par by Ballester meant that ASU fell short at the end and the Jackets triumphed by one. The final round 272 (-8) from the Jackets was the best team round of the tournament, and 12 under was a tournament team record. The Jackets win was the first in over a year and was the 73rd career win of head coach Bruce Heppler’s career. Reuter’s runner-up performance was his best career collegiate finish and should serve as a huge building block for the rest of the season. Overall, the Fighting Illini Invitational was a terrific team performance and a huge win for the No. 17-ranked Jackets against an absolutely loaded field. Tech will have a short break before flying to Fort Worth, Texas this weekend to compete in the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational at Shady Oaks Country Club to try and go back-to-back.