WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men's golf team begins its 105th season of play this weekend, when it travels to Michigan for the Island Resort Intercollegiate at Sage Run Golf Club in Bark River, Michigan.
The Boilermakers are coming off an outstanding 2023-24 season and look to continue their momentum under first-year head coach Andrew Sapp, who takes over after 11 seasons under Rob Bradley. Sapp welcomes back three regulars from last season's team and looks to lead Purdue back to the National Championships for the second straight season.
Purdue won a pair of events last fall, finished second at the NCAA Regionals and advanced to the National Championships for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
Purdue is the only team in the field that reached the NCAA Championships last spring, but traditional powers Georgia and UCF will be in the field.
THE FIELD (Final 2024 Clippd Rankings)
22 Georgia
32 Purdue
38 VCU
75 Saint Mary's
87 Michigan
89 Illinois State
107 North Texas
119 Northern Illinois
125 Miami, Ohio
148 UCF
169 South Dakota State
176 Boise State
TEAM NOTES
PURDUE LINEUP
PREVIOUSLY AT THE ISLAND RESORT INTERCOLLEGIATE
This will mark Purdue's second appearance in the Island Resort Intercollegiate, previously finishing second to open the 2019-20 season. The Boilermakers missed the title by just one shot as Liberty won the event at 9-under par 855, while Purdue was second at 8-under par 856. Freshman Nick Dentino and Joe Weiler placed tied for second at 6-under par 210.
THE COURSE
Sage Run, ranked among Golf Digest's America's Best New Courses, meanders through beautiful Upper Peninsula hardwoods and open vistas with very dramatic views. A natural drumlin, or elongated hill or ridge formed by glacial ice long ago, is the primary feature on Sage Run. A variety of golf holes meander off of and around the hill offering a scenic variety of shots creating a fun thrill ride for golfers. The challenging combination of long holes with creative short par fours lined with fescue grasses and strategic bunkering will challenge golfers of all abilities.
WEATHER FORECAST
Sunday: Sunny, 70 degrees; NNW wind 10-20 MPH
Monday: Sunny, 71 degrees; WNW wind 5-10 MPH
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on scoreboard.clippd.com.
The Boilermakers are coming off an outstanding 2023-24 season and look to continue their momentum under first-year head coach Andrew Sapp, who takes over after 11 seasons under Rob Bradley. Sapp welcomes back three regulars from last season's team and looks to lead Purdue back to the National Championships for the second straight season.
Purdue won a pair of events last fall, finished second at the NCAA Regionals and advanced to the National Championships for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
Purdue is the only team in the field that reached the NCAA Championships last spring, but traditional powers Georgia and UCF will be in the field.
THE FIELD (Final 2024 Clippd Rankings)
22 Georgia
32 Purdue
38 VCU
75 Saint Mary's
87 Michigan
89 Illinois State
107 North Texas
119 Northern Illinois
125 Miami, Ohio
148 UCF
169 South Dakota State
176 Boise State
TEAM NOTES
- This will be the first event under first-year head coach Andrew Sapp. Sapp was an assistant coach during the last two seasons. Purdue finished those years ranked No. 47 and No. 32 in the final national rankings and won three team tournaments.
- Purdue finished last year with the second-best stroke average in school history (287.57). It recorded 14 team rounds of even- or under-par, the fourth-highest total in school history.
- The Boilermakers posted three of their 10 lowest, 18-hole team scores in school history a year ago. They posted three of their 11 lowest, 54-hole scores, including a school-record 814 at the Windon Memorial Classic.
- Purdue is looking for its first tournament win in a season-opening event since the 2010-11 season when it won the Turning Stone Invitational in New York.
PURDUE LINEUP
- Kent Hsiao – Senior; Taipei, Taiwan
- Hsiao is coming off a strong junior season, placing 34th through three rounds at the NCAA Championships.
- Also held the 18-hole lead at the NCAA West Lafayette Regional and placed T-11 at the Big Ten Championships.
- Owns two top-10 finishes for career and five top-20 showings.
- Reached the round of 32 at The Amateur Championship and tied for 40th at the European Amateur Championships.
- Nels Surtani – Senior; Indianapolis, Indiana
- 2024 Second-Team All-Big Ten selection.
- Owns a 73.12 career stroke average (5th in school history).
- Won the 2024 Puerto Rico Classic (only collegiate win).
- Has 36 career rounds (out of 77) of par or lower; 14 rounds in the 60s.
- Sam Easterbrook – Sophomore; Tomworth, England
- Posted the fourth-best scoring average by a Purdue freshman in school history (73.36).
- Recorded back-to-back top-5 finishes in April last year (Calusa Cup, Robert Kepler).
- Fourteen of his 33 rounds last season were even- or under-par.
- Finished eighth at the Canadian Amateur in early August.
- Kentaro Nanayama – Junior; Jakarta, Indonesia
- Will play on the counting team for the first time in his career.
- Only counting round came in the 2023 NCAA Regionals (subbed in 3rd round – shot 68).
- Has the best career scoring average on the team (72.44 / 27 rounds).
- Won a pair of tournaments this summer – including the 2nd Bali International Amateur.
- Supapon Amornchaichan – Freshman; Bangkok, Thailand
- A highly-regarded recruit, Amornchaichan was an AJGA Honorable Mention All-America honoree.
- Won four titles during the 2022-23 season, including a pair of AJGA events.
- Was fourth at the Western Junior Championship in 2023.
- Has an older brother, Supakorn, who plays at Southern Mississippi.
PREVIOUSLY AT THE ISLAND RESORT INTERCOLLEGIATE
This will mark Purdue's second appearance in the Island Resort Intercollegiate, previously finishing second to open the 2019-20 season. The Boilermakers missed the title by just one shot as Liberty won the event at 9-under par 855, while Purdue was second at 8-under par 856. Freshman Nick Dentino and Joe Weiler placed tied for second at 6-under par 210.
THE COURSE
Sage Run, ranked among Golf Digest's America's Best New Courses, meanders through beautiful Upper Peninsula hardwoods and open vistas with very dramatic views. A natural drumlin, or elongated hill or ridge formed by glacial ice long ago, is the primary feature on Sage Run. A variety of golf holes meander off of and around the hill offering a scenic variety of shots creating a fun thrill ride for golfers. The challenging combination of long holes with creative short par fours lined with fescue grasses and strategic bunkering will challenge golfers of all abilities.
WEATHER FORECAST
Sunday: Sunny, 70 degrees; NNW wind 10-20 MPH
Monday: Sunny, 71 degrees; WNW wind 5-10 MPH
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on scoreboard.clippd.com.