#BoilerNotes
Purdue trailed the Sooners by four shots with just 17 total holes to play, but recorded six birdies and 11 pars to rally for its first tournament victory of the year. The Boilermakers withstood several late Oklahoma birdie chances and the Sooners suffered a key late bogey that tilted momentum and gave Purdue a one-shot victory with a 30-under par 822 (281-273-268). Oklahoma was second at 29-under par (280-277-266), while Kent State was third at 16-under par (282-278-276).
"I'm just really proud of the guys. It was obviously a great week for us," said Purdue head coach Rob Bradley. "Anytime you can take down a great team like Oklahoma when they played a great final round, says a lot about our team. We had a lot of really big, clutch individual performances up-and-down the lineup, and it was great to see them get rewarded."
The Boilermakers used huge performances from Herman Sekne and Nick Dentino down the stretch to get the win. Dentino, who shot a 29 on the front nine, ended his round with birdies on his final four holes (1 through 4), including a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 3, and a 35-foot birdie putt from the collar on the fringe up against the rough on No. 4, to catapult him into the top 10 and help secure the team title.
Dentino finished tied for eighth at 5-under par 208 (69-74-65). His final-round 65 was a career-best score.
Sekne, meanwhile, posted a bogey-free 64 in the final round making birdie on each of his final two holes to rally to tie for individual medalist honors. Sekne has now won three tournaments in his career, one-of-five players to win at least three tournaments in Purdue history. Just one time previously in school history has a golfer posted all three rounds in the 60s – Sekne has now done it twice in the last three events.
Entering the Big Ten Championships in two weeks, Sekne owns a 70.29 stroke average on the season with six top-10 finishes in his eight events.
"We knew Oklahoma had a little tougher finish coming in than we did, but they got out to a pretty good lead with a few holes left, so it obviously concerned us a little bit," said Bradley. "Nick and Herman coming up big down the stretch was the difference-maker. I felt we went out and took it and made the plays we needed to."
Peyton Snoeberger had visions of his first individual title midway through the final round, actually grabbing a two-shot lead with seven holes to play. But a bogey on 17 and a double-bogey on 18 dropped him off the pace. He finished strong with pars on his last five holes to finish tied for fourth, his highest career finish, at 7-under par 206 (70-66-70). Snoeberger now has 13 rounds of even-par or better.
Nels Surtani also capped off a strong week with a 15th-place finish at 2-under par 211 (73-69-69). Surtani also owns 13 even- or under-par rounds and now has four top-20 finishes in nine events, the second most on the team.
Andrew Farraye finished tied for 30th at 4-over par 217 (73-69-75).
Playing as individuals, Kentaro Nanayama had a strong tournament, finishing tied for 10th at 4-under par 209 (71-72-66). Andrew White was tied for 42nd at 6-under par 219 (75-74-70), Kent Hsiao was tied for 47th at 7-over par 220 (76-69-75) and Luke Prall was 66th at 15-over par 228 (78-74-76).
Purdue will now tune up for the Big Ten Championships, taking place in two weeks at Galloway National Golf Club outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, on April 28 – 30.
"We've started to play pretty well and outside of the first round at Calusa, things are starting to click pretty good for us," Bradley added. "We still have a lot of work to do and things to work on for the next 12 days or so, but this should give us some confidence."
- Purdue won its first tournament of the season and the ninth victory under head coach Rob Bradley. The win was Purdue's first since the Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate in October 2021.
- Purdue won the Boilermaker Invitational for the first time since 2011.
- Purdue's 822 was a tournament record and the 30-under par ranked second in tournament history. The Boilermakers' 268 in the final round was the second-best, 18-hole score in tournament history (behind Oklahoma's 266 today).
- Purdue's 822 was the second-best, 54-hole score was the second-lowest score in school history, as was the 30-under par score (in relation to par). The final-round 268 was the second-best, 18-hole score in school history.
- Herman Sekne's final-round 64 was the third-best, 18-hole individual score in tournament history. His tournament total of 202 was the second-best score in tournament history.
- Sekne's 64 was the third-best, 18-hole score in Purdue history. His 202 was the fourth-best, 54-hole score in Purdue history. Sekne now has five tournaments of 205 or better. Only Cole Bradley (3) and Adam Schenk (2) have more than one tournament of 205 or better.
- Sekne has set a school record for rounds in the 60s with 12, coming in just 24 rounds.
- Sekne's three medalist honors make him one-of-five golfers in school history to win three tournaments (William Sjaichudin, Lee Williamson, Lenny Hartlage, Jay Smith).
Purdue trailed the Sooners by four shots with just 17 total holes to play, but recorded six birdies and 11 pars to rally for its first tournament victory of the year. The Boilermakers withstood several late Oklahoma birdie chances and the Sooners suffered a key late bogey that tilted momentum and gave Purdue a one-shot victory with a 30-under par 822 (281-273-268). Oklahoma was second at 29-under par (280-277-266), while Kent State was third at 16-under par (282-278-276).
"I'm just really proud of the guys. It was obviously a great week for us," said Purdue head coach Rob Bradley. "Anytime you can take down a great team like Oklahoma when they played a great final round, says a lot about our team. We had a lot of really big, clutch individual performances up-and-down the lineup, and it was great to see them get rewarded."
The Boilermakers used huge performances from Herman Sekne and Nick Dentino down the stretch to get the win. Dentino, who shot a 29 on the front nine, ended his round with birdies on his final four holes (1 through 4), including a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 3, and a 35-foot birdie putt from the collar on the fringe up against the rough on No. 4, to catapult him into the top 10 and help secure the team title.
Dentino finished tied for eighth at 5-under par 208 (69-74-65). His final-round 65 was a career-best score.
Sekne, meanwhile, posted a bogey-free 64 in the final round making birdie on each of his final two holes to rally to tie for individual medalist honors. Sekne has now won three tournaments in his career, one-of-five players to win at least three tournaments in Purdue history. Just one time previously in school history has a golfer posted all three rounds in the 60s – Sekne has now done it twice in the last three events.
Entering the Big Ten Championships in two weeks, Sekne owns a 70.29 stroke average on the season with six top-10 finishes in his eight events.
"We knew Oklahoma had a little tougher finish coming in than we did, but they got out to a pretty good lead with a few holes left, so it obviously concerned us a little bit," said Bradley. "Nick and Herman coming up big down the stretch was the difference-maker. I felt we went out and took it and made the plays we needed to."
Peyton Snoeberger had visions of his first individual title midway through the final round, actually grabbing a two-shot lead with seven holes to play. But a bogey on 17 and a double-bogey on 18 dropped him off the pace. He finished strong with pars on his last five holes to finish tied for fourth, his highest career finish, at 7-under par 206 (70-66-70). Snoeberger now has 13 rounds of even-par or better.
Nels Surtani also capped off a strong week with a 15th-place finish at 2-under par 211 (73-69-69). Surtani also owns 13 even- or under-par rounds and now has four top-20 finishes in nine events, the second most on the team.
Andrew Farraye finished tied for 30th at 4-over par 217 (73-69-75).
Playing as individuals, Kentaro Nanayama had a strong tournament, finishing tied for 10th at 4-under par 209 (71-72-66). Andrew White was tied for 42nd at 6-under par 219 (75-74-70), Kent Hsiao was tied for 47th at 7-over par 220 (76-69-75) and Luke Prall was 66th at 15-over par 228 (78-74-76).
Purdue will now tune up for the Big Ten Championships, taking place in two weeks at Galloway National Golf Club outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, on April 28 – 30.
"We've started to play pretty well and outside of the first round at Calusa, things are starting to click pretty good for us," Bradley added. "We still have a lot of work to do and things to work on for the next 12 days or so, but this should give us some confidence."