WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men's golf team begins a busy stretch as it heads to the Chicago Northside for the Windon Memorial Classic, hosted by Northwestern.
The Boilermakers kick off three straight weeks of competition on Monday with 36 holes at Sunset Ridge Golf Club in Northfield, Illinois, starting in 8:30 a.m. CT, shotgun start. Tuesday's tee times will start at 8 a.m. CT.
Purdue is one of 15 teams in a field that features nine squads that were selected to NCAA Regionals a year ago. Thirteen of the 15 teams were ranked in Golfweek's final top-100 rankings. The Boilermakers will be one of five Big Ten teams in the field (Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin).
THE FIELD (Golfweek Rankings / final 2023 rankings)
30 Northwestern (NCAA Qualifier – 5 seed)
33 East Tennessee State (NCAA Qualifier – 6 seed)
40 North Florida (NCAA Qualifier – 8 seed)
47 Little Rock (NCAA Qualifier – 9 seed)
48 Purdue (NCAA Qualifier – 7 seed)
53 Notre Dame
57 Indiana (NCAA Qualifier – 11 seed)
61 Michigan State (NCAA Qualifier – 10 seed)
66 Wisconsin (NCAA Qualifier – 11 seed)
69 Marquette (NCAA Qualifier – 10 seed)
72 Kent State
79 Memphis
97 South Florida
102 Minnesota
133 UC Davis
LAST TIME OUT
Purdue proved it can play with the nation's best teams at the Olympia Fields Invitational, finishing tied for 11th out of 15 teams, but just seven shots out of sixth place and five shots out of seventh place. The Boilermakers tied 2022 National Champion and defeated perennial powers Oklahoma State and Stanford by shooting a 13-over par 573 (286-287). Herman Sekne paced the Boilermakers with a T-13 finish at 1-under par 139.
TEAM NOTES
PURDUE LINEUP
Celebrating its 100th year, Sunset Ridge Country Club will play just over 6,700 yards and par 71 for this week's Windon Memorial. Keeping the ball in the fairway is required at Sunset Ridge as most of the fairways are lined with trees that have been there for the better part of the course's history.
It marks the first time in event history that Sunset Ridge will host the Windon Memorial.
WINDON MEMORIAL CLASSIC HISTORY
This marks Purdue's first appearance in the Windon Memorial Classic since the 2019-20 season, but the seventh appearance under head coach Rob Bradley. The Boilermakers have had moderate success in the event, winning in 2015 with a tournament-record (and third in school history) score of 830 (281-272-277; -22). Winning by 15 shots in 2015, it was Purdue's largest margin of victory since 2007, and Brian Carlson won medalist honors at 6-under par, leading four Purdue players in the top three. However, Purdue's last two appearances have resulted in 12th (2019) and T-12th (2018) finishes.
WEATHER FORECAST
Monday: A chance of showers, partly sunny; 68 degrees
Tuesday: Partly sunny; 68 degrees
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on golfstat.com.
The Boilermakers kick off three straight weeks of competition on Monday with 36 holes at Sunset Ridge Golf Club in Northfield, Illinois, starting in 8:30 a.m. CT, shotgun start. Tuesday's tee times will start at 8 a.m. CT.
Purdue is one of 15 teams in a field that features nine squads that were selected to NCAA Regionals a year ago. Thirteen of the 15 teams were ranked in Golfweek's final top-100 rankings. The Boilermakers will be one of five Big Ten teams in the field (Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin).
THE FIELD (Golfweek Rankings / final 2023 rankings)
30 Northwestern (NCAA Qualifier – 5 seed)
33 East Tennessee State (NCAA Qualifier – 6 seed)
40 North Florida (NCAA Qualifier – 8 seed)
47 Little Rock (NCAA Qualifier – 9 seed)
48 Purdue (NCAA Qualifier – 7 seed)
53 Notre Dame
57 Indiana (NCAA Qualifier – 11 seed)
61 Michigan State (NCAA Qualifier – 10 seed)
66 Wisconsin (NCAA Qualifier – 11 seed)
69 Marquette (NCAA Qualifier – 10 seed)
72 Kent State
79 Memphis
97 South Florida
102 Minnesota
133 UC Davis
LAST TIME OUT
Purdue proved it can play with the nation's best teams at the Olympia Fields Invitational, finishing tied for 11th out of 15 teams, but just seven shots out of sixth place and five shots out of seventh place. The Boilermakers tied 2022 National Champion and defeated perennial powers Oklahoma State and Stanford by shooting a 13-over par 573 (286-287). Herman Sekne paced the Boilermakers with a T-13 finish at 1-under par 139.
TEAM NOTES
- Purdue finished tied for third at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate. The Boilermakers held the 18, and 36-hole lead but couldn't hang on in the final round.
- Purdue did not record a double-bogey or worse in 180 combined holes at the Olympia Fields Invitational.
- Purdue's head-to-head wins this year feature victories against Oklahoma State and Stanford and ties with Pepperdine and Texas A&M.
- Purdue has advanced to eight of nine possible NCAA Regionals during the Rob Bradley era. However, Purdue's last appearance in the NCAA Championships came in 2017.
- The Kampen-Cosler course will host the NCAA Regional Championships in mid-May for the first time since 2017. The course has undergone a massive renovation with new bunkers, new shaping on ponds and a new clubhouse (in progress) that exceeds a $20 million price tag.
- In school history, there have been 16 tournament occurrences of rounds of 276 or better. Fifteen of them have come under Bradley.
- Eight of the nine-lowest team season stroke averages have come under Bradley, including last year's 287.77 – second in school history.
- The event will have a distinct Purdue feel to it, as East Tennessee State (Jake Amos) and Little Rock (Austin Eoff) are coached by former Rob Bradley assistants at Purdue.
PURDUE LINEUP
- Herman Sekne – Senior; Oslo, Norway
- Continues to be a force atop Purdue's lineup.
- A 2023 third-team All-American – Purdue's first All-American since 2002 (Lee Williamson – 1st team)
- Owns the school records already for stroke average (71.61) and rounds in the 60s (27).
- Has 18, top-20 and 14, top-10 finishes in just 29 career events.
- Currently a cumulative 2-under par on the season, despite playing elite courses in Erin Hills and Olympia Fields.
- Ranked No. 25 in World Amateur Golf Rankings (9th-ranked international player) and competed in the Arnold Palmer Cup, Bonallack Trophy and U.S. Amateur this summer.
- Nels Surtani – Junior; Indianapolis, Indiana
- Continues to play well early in the 2023-24 season.
- Owns two, top-30 finishes so far, including a T-12 showing at the Marquette Intercollegiate.
- Won his second straight Northern Amateur title this summer.
- Has had just one double-bogey or worse in 90 holes this season.
- Lone top-10 finish last year came at prestigious Isleworth Collegiate (T-7).
- Sam Easterbrook – Freshman; Tomworth, England
- Has shown his early talent, shooting 1-under par rounds at both Erin Hills and Olympia Fields.
- Had an outstanding scholastic career, winning the 2021 Scottish Boys U-16 Open Championship and finishing second at the English U-18 Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
- Competed at the European Boys Team Championship and finished 40th at the European Amateur Championships this past summer.
- Was the stroke-play medalist in the 2022 English Men's Amateur Championship.
- Also reached the match play portion at the 2022 Amateur Championship.
- Peyton Snoeberger – 5th Year; Williamsport, Indiana
- Posted a 73.32 stroke average a year ago
- Placed third at the prestigious Monroe Invitational this summer.
- Has had a counting score in 18 straight rounds dating to last season.
- Finished tied for fourth at the Boilermaker Invitational after being the 36-hole leader.
- Advanced to the round of 32 at the 2022 U.S. Amateur.
- Kent Hsiao – Junior; Taipei, Taiwan
- Enters the lineup after a strong week of qualifying. Has played in two events this fall, placing T-40 as an individual at Erin Hills.
- Hsiao had a breakout spring campaign, averaging 73.38 strokes per round and nine rounds of par or better for the entire season.
- Worked his way into the lineup after a strong winter session.
- Placed T-4 at the Purdue Fall Individual and T-8 at the Badger Individual to start the season.
- Finished T-23 at the Big Ten Championships (78-70=148).
Celebrating its 100th year, Sunset Ridge Country Club will play just over 6,700 yards and par 71 for this week's Windon Memorial. Keeping the ball in the fairway is required at Sunset Ridge as most of the fairways are lined with trees that have been there for the better part of the course's history.
It marks the first time in event history that Sunset Ridge will host the Windon Memorial.
WINDON MEMORIAL CLASSIC HISTORY
This marks Purdue's first appearance in the Windon Memorial Classic since the 2019-20 season, but the seventh appearance under head coach Rob Bradley. The Boilermakers have had moderate success in the event, winning in 2015 with a tournament-record (and third in school history) score of 830 (281-272-277; -22). Winning by 15 shots in 2015, it was Purdue's largest margin of victory since 2007, and Brian Carlson won medalist honors at 6-under par, leading four Purdue players in the top three. However, Purdue's last two appearances have resulted in 12th (2019) and T-12th (2018) finishes.
WEATHER FORECAST
Monday: A chance of showers, partly sunny; 68 degrees
Tuesday: Partly sunny; 68 degrees
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on golfstat.com.