WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s golf team steps into the fire this weekend when it heads to the Chicago suburbs for one of college golf’s premier events at Olympia Fields Country Club for the Fighting Illini / Olympia Fields Invitational.
Purdue last appeared in the tournament in Sept. 2023, and will be facing one of college golf’s toughest fields. The Boilermakers will be competing for the second time this season after taking a three-week hiatus after the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate in Michigan.
It also begins a stretch of four straight weekends of competition for the Boilermakers. All told, Purdue will play five more tournaments over a span of the next six weeks.
Ten of the nation’s top-25 teams from last year’s final rankings, including defending National Champion Oklahoma State, will compete this weekend at Olympia Fields. Only three of the teams (Loyola Marymount, Indiana and Baylor) finished last year outside of the top 50.
THE FIELD (Final 2025 Clippd Rankings)
2 Oklahoma State
3 Arizona State
5 Texas
6 Florida
10 Florida State
11 Texas A&M
13 Illinois
18 Alabama
21 Texas Tech
23 Georgia Tech
38 Purdue
41 Stanford
59 Loyola Marymount
72 Indiana
82 Baylor
TEAM NOTES
• Purdue is coming off a second-place finish at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate three weeks ago in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
• The Boilermakers’ score of 49-under par 815 was the second-lowest, 54-hole score in school history. It featured a second-round tally of 24-under par 264, the lowest 18-hole score in school history.
• Purdue has now shot 280 or better in all three rounds in a tournament seven times in school history. Three of the occurrences have come under head coach Andrew Sapp.
• The 815 shot in Michigan was the best 54-hole score in a season-opening tournament in school history, surpassing the 838 at the Marquette Intercollegiate in Sept. 2021, by 23 shots.
• Purdue’s five on the counting team registered no double-bogeys or worse during the entire tournament of the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
PURDUE LINEUP
• Sam Easterbrook (Jr. / Tomworth, England)
... 2025 First-team All-Big Ten honoree.
... Owns 10 top-10 finishes in just 26 career events, needing one more top-10 finish to move into the top 10 in school history.
... Has a 72.32 career stroke average, good for second all-time behind All-American Herman Sekne (71.42).
... Owns 18 career rounds in the 60s and 36 of his 75 career rounds have been even or under par.
... Finished T-6th at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate at 12-under par 204 (71-66-67); was 11-under par 133 over his final two rounds.
• Kentaro Nanayama (Sr. / Jakarta, Indonesia)
... Totaled a 6-under par 210 (69-71-70) to finish T-23 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
... Has a 72.46 career stroke average in 54 rounds, despite playing just 19 rounds on the counting team.
... Owns two top-20 finishes, including a T-18 finish at the Boilermaker Invitational where he was in the top five after 36 holes.
... Won the Badger Individual to start his redshirt freshman year in Sept. 2022.
... Eight of his last 12 rounds have been even or under-par.
• Supapon Amornchaichan (So. / Bangkok, Thailand)
... 2025 Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman – one of three freshmen nationally to be named to ANY All-American squad.
... Finished T-15 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, his third straight top-15 finish dating to his freshman season.
... Finished T-9th at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish for a Boilermaker since 1961.
... Also finished T-15 at the NCAA Auburn Regional to begin a strong postseason run.
... 35 of his 43 career rounds have been 75 or lower, including 17 straight rounds.
• Andre Zhu (R-Fr. / Richmond Hill, Ontario)
... Named Big Ten Golfer of the Week following a T-3 showing at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, in his first career event (68-65-68=201; -15).
... The 201 was the third-lowest, 54-hole score in Purdue history, and the lowest by five shots by a freshman.
... Became the fourth player in school history to have three rounds of 68 or better (Herman Sekne, Cole Bradley, Pariya Junhasavasdikul).
... Redshirted a year ago at the University of South Carolina, under previous Purdue head coach Rob Bradley.
... Was a standout high school golfer in Canada, earning four AJGA wins as a freshman and sophomore.
• Will Harvey (Fr. / Westfield, Indiana)
... Placed T-15 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, shooting 8-under par 208 (70-64-74).
... His second-round 64 tied for the fourth-best round in Purdue history and was the lowest round in school history by a freshman.
... Won the 2025 Indiana High School championship by three shots, tying the record for lowest 36-hole score in state championship history.
... Was named the 2025 Hoosier Conference Athlete of the Year.
... Also a strong basketball player, named second-team All-Conference after shooting over 46 percent from 3-point range. Attended same high school as Purdue Basketball’s current All-American Braden Smith.
PREVIOUSLY AT THE FIGHTING ILLINI / OLYMPIA FIELDS INVITATIONAL
This marks Purdue’s 11th appearance at Olympia Fields, last competing in Sept. 2023 (T-11th place; 36 holes). The Boilermakers have struggled against the elite field, finishing in the top five just once (2006; 3rd) with T-11th (2023), 10th (2021), 12th (2018), T-8th (2016) and 14th- (2012) place showings in the last five trips. Sam Easterbrook is the lone Boilermaker to play on the course, shooting 78-69=147 in 2023 as a freshman.
THE COURSE
One of the top courses in the country, Olympia Fields has hosted two U.S. Opens (1928, 2003), two PGA Championships (1925, 1961), a U.S. Amateur (2015) and two BMW Championships (2020, 2023). Known for its massive clubhouse and clock tower, the course is a classic parkland course that can stretch to almost 7,300 yards while playing just par 70. The North course enjoys pleasant terrain that boasts some significant but walkable elevation changes, a winding creek, and its share of trees. The bunkers are deep and penal while the undulated greens are a formidable challenge to navigate when rolling firm and fast.
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: Sunny, 84 degrees; SE winds 7 MPH
Saturday: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees; SE winds 8 MPH
Sunday: Chance of thunderstorms, 80 degrees; SSW winds 11 MPH
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on golfstat.com.