Illinois Women’s Golf Heads West for Big Ten Championships
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois women’s golf will travel to California for the 2026 Big Ten Championships, held April 24-26, at the Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California. The final round on Sunday, April 26, will be televised on Big Ten Network beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT. Rick Pizzo, Eric Ciotti, and Emma Carpenter will provide coverage.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois completed its regular season as team champions at the Boilermaker Spring Classic for the second consecutive year. Low individual scorer Anna Ritter finished fourth, one of just four players in the field to finish at or below par. Freshman Alexis Myers finished just behind Ritter in fifth, earning her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor for her performance. Brielle Mapanao finished in tenth, notching the most pars of the field (41).
THE COURSE
The Oakmont Country Club sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Glendale, California. The course was designed by architect Max Behr, with a subsequent restoration by Brain Curley. 2026 marks the first time the B1G Women’s Golf Championships will be held in California. The course previously hosted the LPGA, from 1997-1999, and the Pac-10 Men’s Golf Championship in 2003. Oakmont is a par-70 course, playing 6,086 yards on Friday, 6,134 yards on Saturday, and 6,107 yards on Sunday.
CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT
All 18 Big Ten schools will compete in the Big Ten Championships. 54 holes will be played across the three-day event, 18 on each day, with rounds beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT on Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. CT on Sunday. Team scores will be determined by adding together the lowest four individual scores for each round.
FIGHTING ILLINI LINEUP
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring will be available on Scoreboard by Clippd and the Big Ten website.
ILLINOIS HISTORY AT BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
In 2025, the Fighting Illini finished third at the Big Ten Championships in Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the Bulle Rock Golf Course. Victoria Zheng was the individual low scorer, finishing tied for fifth, with a 214 (-2). In 2023, the Orange and Blue won the Big Ten Championships for the first time in program history in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
UP NEXT
Illinois will await a potential NCAA Regional selection. The Division I Women’s Golf Selection Show is slated for April 29, 2026, at 3 p.m. CT on the Golf Channel.