WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An early-season juggernaut of a schedule continues for the Purdue men’s golf team, as it travels to South Bend, Indiana, for the Fighting Irish Classic on Sunday and Monday.
After two opening tournaments of finishing second and 10th, the Purdue men’s golf team once again faces some of the nation’s best teams in hopes of making a move into the national rankings before returning home to host one of its two home events this season.
Fourteen teams will take on Warren Golf Course, playing 36 holes on Sunday and 18 on Monday. The event will feature eight teams that finished in the nation’s top 50, and 12 of the top 100, in last year’s final Clippd national rankings.
The Boilermakers finished second in the New York Harbor Cup in their opener, fueled by a trio of top-10 finishes by Jenson Forrester (co-medalist), Micah Sheffer (T-6th) and Supapon Amornchaichan (T-10th), then placed 10th at the prestigious Inverness Classic against some of the nation’s top programs.
THE FIELD (Final 2026 Clippd Rankings)
9 North Carolina
17 Illinois
21 Texas A&M
22 UCLA
32 Notre Dame
34 Louisville
42 Purdue
48 California
59 Georgia Southern
77 Michigan State
90 Iowa
100 Indiana
106 Augusta
133 Kent State
TEAM NOTES
• Purdue is currently 5-5-1 against teams that finished in the top 50 of last year’s national rankings and 13-9-1 against the top 100. Included in the win totals are head-to-head wins over National Championship qualifiers Virginia, LSU and Ole Miss and a tie with Oklahoma.
• The Boilemakers are currently at 1-over par cumulatively through two events with a stroke average of 284.17.
• Six of Purdue’s seven players that have seen action this year have all recorded a round in the 60s. The lone member without a round in the 60s is Walker Cup participant Sam Easterbrook, who has only played one event.
• Every member of the team that has played an event this year has recorded a top-20 finish.
PURDUE LINEUP
• Sam Easterbrook (Sr. / Tamworth, England)
... All-American candidate who placed T-19th at the Inverness Intercollegiate, his sixth straight top-20 showing.
... missed the season-opening New York Harbor Cup as he played for Great Britain and Ireland in The Walker Cup.
... Had an outstanding summer, narrowly missing qualifying for The Open Championship twice and reaching the quarterfinals of The Amateur Championship.
... Ranks 73rd in the most recent WAGR (World Amateur Golf Rankings) rankings.
... Ranks second in school history in career stroke average (71.87) and has 16 top-10 showings in 38 career events.
... Needs just five more rounds of even-par or better to break the school record of 65 set by Austin Eoff (2014-17).
• Supapon Amornchaichan (Jr. / Bangkok, Thailand)
... Recorded second career top-10 finish with a T-10 showing at the New York Harbor Cup (70-70-70=210).
... Over the summer, Amornchaichan qualified for the professional Singha Classic in Thailand. Then finished 27th overall after being in the top five through the first two rounds.
... Had a strong sophomore season, posting a 72.64 stroke average in 33 rounds played.
... Recorded three top-20 finishes and had 17 rounds of even-par or better, including eight rounds in the 60s.
... Recorded back-to-back top-15 finishes with a T-12 showing at the Fighting Irish Classic (72-69-70=211; +1), and then a T-13 placement at the Purdue Fall Invitational (68-68-80=216; even). Was the 36-hole leader at the Purdue Fall Invitational.
... Had a good NCAA Regional at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Oregon, placing tied for 21st at 2-under par 211 (68-68-75).
• Jenson Forrester (Sr. / Wolverhampton, England)
... Won first career collegiate tournament at the New York Harbor Cup, earning medalist honors with a 12-under par 201 (69-64-68), tied for the third-lowest 54-hole score in Purdue history. Was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week for the first time in his career thanks to his efforts.
... Won the prestigious Tillman Trophy at 14-under par 274, earning him exempt status for the 2027 Tier I Clutch Pro Tour schedule as well as a start on the Hotel Planner Tour (Challenge Tour).
... Forrester had an up-and-down junior season, appearing in 12 events and posting a 72.82 stroke average for the season.
... Finished the year with two top-20 showings and 15 rounds of even-par or better.
... Played well at the NCAA National Championships, finishing tied for 55th at 1-over par 217 (72-71-74).
... Also subbed in for the last two rounds at the Big Ten Championships, shooting even-par over the last two rounds (70-70) to help Purdue surge to sixth after a tough first day.
... Placed tied for eighth as an individual at the Purdue Fall Invitational (70-71-73=214; -2).
• Will Harvey (So. / Westfield, Indiana)
... Finished tied for 13th at the New York Harbor Cup at 2-under par 211 (70-70-71).
... Then shot a final-round 2-under par 69 to finish T-19th at the Inverness Intercollegiate, his second straight top-20 showing.
... Qualified for the U.S. Amateur after finishing tied for fourth in qualifying at the Aurora Country Club (Illinois).
... Harvey had one of the top freshman seasons by a Purdue golfer in school history, appearing in 12 events with a 72.34 stroke average.
... Posted the lowest stroke average by a freshman in Purdue history and finished with six top-20 placings and 15 rounds of even-par or better.
... Posted the lowest round by a freshman in Purdue history with a 64 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate during his second career round.
... Posted a birdie-bogey-birdie-birdie-birdie finish at the NCAA Corvallis Regional to help Purdue advance to the NCAA National Championships by one shot. His birdie on 18 was a downhill, 10-foot putt that proved to be the difference.
... Finished as runner-up at the Purdue Fall Invitational (70-71-70=211; -5), missing out on medalist honors by one shot.
... Finished tied for fourth (73-66-70=209; -7) and tied for sixth (73-68-76=217; +4) in back-to-back events at the Calusa Cup and Hoosier Collegiate.
... Placed tied for 13th at the NCAA Corvallis Regional (70-68-71=209; -4).
• Micah Sheffer (Fr. / Brownstown, Indiana)
... Finished T-6th in his first career collegiate tournament, posting a 6-under par 207 (68-66-73) at the New York Harbor Cup.
... fired a final-round 1-under par 70 to finish T-26th at Inverness.
... Sheffer had a busy and successful summer, winning the Indiana Match Play Championship.
... Also finished as the runner-up, losing in a playoff at the Indiana Open Championship.
... Finished in the top 10 at the North Atlantic Amateur (5th), the Rice Planters Amateur (3rd) and the Kenridge Invitational (9th).
... Arrived at Purdue at the semester break and redshirted during the spring season (2025-26).
... One of the state’s top athletes, Sheffer arrives at Purdue after starring on the golf course, the football field and hardwood.
... Two-time all-conference honoree and team MVP in golf, before opting not to play his junior season and playing junior tours instead.
... Named the 2025 Golfweek Player of the Year and won four events on the AJGA and Golfweek Junior Tours last summer.
... A standout quarterback for Brownstown Central, Sheffer led Brownstown Central to the Class 2A state championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
... Threw for over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for over 400 yards. Led an offense that averaged over 50.0 points per game.
... On the hardwood, he was a varsity starter for two years, including as a sophomore helping Brownstown Central to the 2024 state championship, alongside current Purdue basketball player Jack Benter.
PREVIOUSLY AT THE FIGHTING IRISH CLASSIC
This marks Purdue’s fourth straight appearance in the Fighting Irish Classic, finishing T-8th in 2023, 2nd in 2024 and fifth a year ago. Supapon Amornchaichan has recorded a pair of 12th-place finishes, while Jenson Forrester was 7th in 2024 and 23rd a year ago. Sam Easterbrook was tied for 17th in 2024.
THE COURSE
Warren Golf Course is a links-style course comfortably nestled on 250 wooded acres. Expertly preserved as a wildlife habitat, the course received the coveted Audubon International certification. Lush fescue fairways, softly rolling terrain and the golden dome in the background make the course a beauty to behold. Warren Golf Course is rated one of the top 10 collegiate courses in the country and has hosted the U.S. Senior Open (2019) and U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (2010) Championships.
WEATHER FORECAST
Sunday: Sunny, 72 degrees; W winds 10-15 MPH
Monday: Sunny, 64 degrees; NNW winds 5-10 MPH