Alex Illikainen, at one point a major recruiting target of the Gophers men's basketball team, committed to Wisconsin on Sunday.

"Happy to announce my commitment to Wisconsin! Excited to be a Badger!" he tweeted (@AIllikainen_25).

The 6-9 Illikainen was an all-state player at Grand Rapids as a junior and is playing his senior season at Brewster (N.H.) Academy.

Hoge earns PGA card

Two-time Minnesota State Amateur champion Tom Hoge of Fargo, N.D., was among 25 players to secure their PGA Tour cards for the 2014-15 season at the Web.com Tour Finals at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.

Hoge, 25, tweeted that he will make his PGA Tour debut in two weeks at the Frys.com Open in California.

Mendez leads

Gophers sophomore Jose Mendez shot rounds of 2-under 68 and 3-under 67 on Sunday to take a three-shot lead after the first day of the Windon Memorial Classic in Skokie, Ill.

The 15-team tournament hosted by Northwestern continues Monday with a third and final 18-hole round.

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