WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men's golf team looks to start its postseason on a high note, when it travels to Baltimore for the 105th Big Ten Championships to be played at the Baltimore Country Club.
The Boilermakers will enter the tournament as one of the favorites to win the title, and will be one of the top-six seeds when pairings are announced on Thursday. As of Tuesday's national rankings, No. 37 Purdue is the fifth-highest ranked Big Ten team behind #11 Illinois, #13 UCLA, #27 Northwestern and #36 Oregon.
The Boilermakers own a 24-7-0 (.774) head-to-head record against Big Ten teams, including a 12-1-0 record this spring, with the loss being just a five-stroke setback to No. 13 UCLA at the Calusa Cup.
THE FIELD (2025 Clippd Rankings)
11 Illinois
13 UCLA
27 Northwestern
36 Oregon
37 Purdue
50 USC
65 Michigan State
72 Michigan
79 Indiana
82 Nebraska
83 Ohio State
86 Iowa
101 Washington
108 Minnesota
111 Wisconsin
123 Rutgers
135 Maryland
144 Penn State
TEAM NOTES
PURDUE LINEUP
INDIVIDUALS AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
TEAM HISTORY AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Purdue is aiming for its 13th Big Ten Championship in school history, but its first since the 1981 campaign. The Boilermakers have finished in the top half in five straight events and in 11 of the last 14 championships dating to 2010. A year ago, Purdue finished third, its best finish since being runner-up in Philadelphia in 2019. A Purdue individual has not won medalist honors since Pariya Junhasavasdikul in 2007. In fact, Purdue has had just one medalist in the last 55 years.
THE COURSE
The Big Ten Golf Championships are returning to the East Coast for the fifth time since 2017 and to the Baltimore Country Club for the first time since 2018, after the course held the championships in years 2017 (Purdue T-4th) and 2018 (8th).
The A. W. Tillinghast designed Par 70 East Course, with back-to-front pitched greens, limited water hazards, and 96 bunkers, has received many honors, including making Golfweek's list of "America's Top 100 Classic Courses" (pre 1960) numerous times, most recently in 2020. It is also listed as the best Classic or Modern (post 1960 design) Course in the state of Maryland. A restoration project was completed in 2015 by Keith Foster, bringing the course back to Tillinghast's original 1924 design.
The Club was named one of the "100 Most Prestigious Clubs in the World" by LINKS magazine. The USGA lists Baltimore Country Club as one of the first 100 clubs established in the United States.
Baltimore Country Club is one of only two clubs in the world to have hosted a Men's U.S. Open, a PGA Championship, a Men's U.S. Amateur, a U.S. Walker Cup, and a U.S. Women's Open, and a Champions Tour Major.
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: Partly Sunny; 78 degrees; ENE wind 5-10 MPH.
Saturday: Showers likely with chance of Thunderstorms; 79 degrees; W wind 10-15 MPH.
Sunday: Sunny; 71 degrees; NNE wind 5-10 MPH.
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on clippd.com.
The Boilermakers will enter the tournament as one of the favorites to win the title, and will be one of the top-six seeds when pairings are announced on Thursday. As of Tuesday's national rankings, No. 37 Purdue is the fifth-highest ranked Big Ten team behind #11 Illinois, #13 UCLA, #27 Northwestern and #36 Oregon.
The Boilermakers own a 24-7-0 (.774) head-to-head record against Big Ten teams, including a 12-1-0 record this spring, with the loss being just a five-stroke setback to No. 13 UCLA at the Calusa Cup.
THE FIELD (2025 Clippd Rankings)
11 Illinois
13 UCLA
27 Northwestern
36 Oregon
37 Purdue
50 USC
65 Michigan State
72 Michigan
79 Indiana
82 Nebraska
83 Ohio State
86 Iowa
101 Washington
108 Minnesota
111 Wisconsin
123 Rutgers
135 Maryland
144 Penn State
TEAM NOTES
- Purdue owns a 48-4-1 spring season record, winning both the Puerto Rico Classic and the Hootie Intercollegiate. Over the last three tournaments, Purdue owns an 11-1-0 record against top-10 ranked teams and is 13-4-1 against top-50 teams
- The Boilermakers posted a 288.00 stroke average with a combined score of 72-over par in the fall, but is averaging 280.42 strokes / 18 holes with a combined score of 79-under par this spring.
- In the fall season, Purdue had one top-five individual finish in six tournaments. During the four-tournament spring season, Purdue has had five top-five individual finishes.
- Ten of Purdue's 12 team rounds in the spring have been under par.
- Purdue has finished in the top four in seven of 10 tournaments so far this season.
PURDUE LINEUP
- Nels Surtani – Senior; Indianapolis, Indiana
- 2024 Second-Team All-Big Ten selection.
- Has eight top-30 placings in 10 events, including a T-13 showing at the Boilermaker Invitational.
- Earlier this year, had eight straight rounds of even-par or better – third-longest streak in school history.
- Owns a 72.79 career stroke average (3rd in school history).
- Played his 100th career round in the Hootie Intercollegiate (now with 107 rounds played).
- Won the 2024 Puerto Rico Classic for only collegiate victory, with the fifth-best score in tournament history (201; -15).
- Sam Easterbrook – Sophomore; Tomworth, England
- Has had an outstanding sophomore season (T-6. T-73, T-5, T-25, T-17, T-17, 1, T-5, T-10, T-5) with six top-six finishes.
- Already ranks fourth in a season in stroke average (70.83), fifth in top-10 finishes (6), 10th in top-20 finishes (8), fifth in rounds in the 60s (10) and sixth in rounds of even-par or better (18).
- Needs just nine birdies to tie the record for most birdies in a season (since 2013-14). Enters the Big Ten Championships with 119 birdies (school record is 127 by Stuart Macdonald in 2015-16).
- Posted the fourth-best freshman scoring average in school history last season (73.36).
- Over half of his career rounds (32-of-63) have been at even or under-par.
- Supapon Amornchaichan – Freshman; Bangkok, Thailand
- Top career placing came at the Fighting Irish Classic (T-12; +1).
- Had a strong final round in the Boilermaker Invitational with a career-best 3-under par 68, moving up 31 spots to T-23.
- Played well in season opener, posting T-15 finish at 1-under par 215; played final two rounds in 2-under par.
- Finished in the top 50 in eight of 10 events so far this year.
- Shot 2-over par 74 in the opening round at Hootie, but was 1-under par combined in final two rounds.
- Has had a team-counting round in 25-of-30 rounds this season.
- 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.
- Jenson Forrester – Sophomore; Wolverhampton, England
- Has had a strong season, finishing third in the Hootie Intercollegiate, followed by a 10th-place finish at the Calusa Cup.
- Has six top-35 finishes so far this year, including top-10 finishes in three of his last six events.
- Ranks second on the team in rounds in the 60s with eight, good for eighth in school history.
- Was a regular a year ago at East Tennessee State, averaging 72.53 strokes per round and a pair of top-20 finishes.
- Finished T-15 at the SoCon Men's Golf Championship and T-72 at the NCAA Championships.
- Kent Hsiao – Senior; Taipei, Taiwan
- Did not play in the Boilermaker Invitational, but should be healthy this weekend.
- Led the Boilermakers with a T-7 showing at the Calusa Cup – his third straight top-25 placing.
- Finished second at the Puerto Rico Classic, then T-22nd at the Hootie Intercollegiate.
- Owns a 71.90 stroke average this season and has 10 rounds of par or better (21 total rounds played).
- Owns a 72.84 career stroke average, good for fifth in school history.
- Held the 36-hole lead at last year's NCAA Regional appearance at the Kampen-Cosler Course.
- Kentaro Nanayama – Senior; Jakarta, Indonesia
- Has had a solid season, posting a 73.21 stroke average with two top-20 showings.
- Finished T-18 at the Boilermaker Invitational and T-9 at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate.
- Has shown he can play in the big moments, shooting a 4-under par in the final round of the 2023 NCAA Regional at Clemson, after being inserted into the lineup in the final round.
INDIVIDUALS AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sam Easterbrook
- 2024 – T-39 (74-79-76=229) at Scioto Country Club
- Kent Hsiao
- 2024 – T-11 (70-75-76=221) at Scioto Country Club
- 2023 – T-23 (78-70=148) at Galloway National Golf Club
- Nels Surtani
- 2024 – T-39 (74-77-78=229) at Scioto Country Club
- 2023 – DNP (83-XX=XX) at Galloway National Golf Club
- 2022 – 51 (78-75-79=232) at Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort
TEAM HISTORY AT THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Purdue is aiming for its 13th Big Ten Championship in school history, but its first since the 1981 campaign. The Boilermakers have finished in the top half in five straight events and in 11 of the last 14 championships dating to 2010. A year ago, Purdue finished third, its best finish since being runner-up in Philadelphia in 2019. A Purdue individual has not won medalist honors since Pariya Junhasavasdikul in 2007. In fact, Purdue has had just one medalist in the last 55 years.
THE COURSE
The Big Ten Golf Championships are returning to the East Coast for the fifth time since 2017 and to the Baltimore Country Club for the first time since 2018, after the course held the championships in years 2017 (Purdue T-4th) and 2018 (8th).
The A. W. Tillinghast designed Par 70 East Course, with back-to-front pitched greens, limited water hazards, and 96 bunkers, has received many honors, including making Golfweek's list of "America's Top 100 Classic Courses" (pre 1960) numerous times, most recently in 2020. It is also listed as the best Classic or Modern (post 1960 design) Course in the state of Maryland. A restoration project was completed in 2015 by Keith Foster, bringing the course back to Tillinghast's original 1924 design.
The Club was named one of the "100 Most Prestigious Clubs in the World" by LINKS magazine. The USGA lists Baltimore Country Club as one of the first 100 clubs established in the United States.
Baltimore Country Club is one of only two clubs in the world to have hosted a Men's U.S. Open, a PGA Championship, a Men's U.S. Amateur, a U.S. Walker Cup, and a U.S. Women's Open, and a Champions Tour Major.
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: Partly Sunny; 78 degrees; ENE wind 5-10 MPH.
Saturday: Showers likely with chance of Thunderstorms; 79 degrees; W wind 10-15 MPH.
Sunday: Sunny; 71 degrees; NNE wind 5-10 MPH.
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on clippd.com.