News, results and rankings for Indiana high school players, the state's college programs, and the juniors trying to get from one to the other.
IHSAA GirlsOct. 3, 2026 · Battle Ground G.C.
Zionsville three-peats, and Taylor Snively does it too
Zionsville won its third straight girls state title at Battle Ground with a 36-hole total of 589 (+13), a new State Finals record. Junior Taylor Snively opened with a 67, added a 71 and won her third straight individual crown by six shots at 6-under 138, making 11 birdies, the most in the 112-player field. Three more Eagles finished inside the top 12.
The Boilermakers won the Purdue Fall Invitational at Kampen-Cosler for the second year running, finishing 4-under and eight strokes clear of Toledo. Indiana's Cole Starnes tied for second individually at 7-under.
RankingsOct. 14
Notre Dame men open at No. 11 in Clippd
The first 2026-27 Scoreboard rankings put Notre Dame (No. 11) and Purdue (No. 21) in the D-I men's top 25, Purdue's women at No. 23, and Indiana Wesleyan in the NAIA top 10 for men and women.
RecruitingClass of 2028
Know your two dates
For Division I, coaches can start contacting you June 15 after sophomore year, and visits open Aug. 1 before junior year. The record they evaluate is built before then.
PodcastOct. 1, 2026 · 50:34
Listen: 2026 IHSAA State Preview Show
Claire Swathwood, Nate McClung and Elijah Lemmon join Trent to preview the girls State Finals.
IHSAA Boys & Girls
Indiana High School Golf
State finals recaps, sectional and regional storylines, and the players to watch across Indiana.
Girls · State FinalsOct. 3, 2026
A Zionsville sweep at Battle Ground
Zionsville's 589 broke the State Finals 36-hole record by a wide margin, and its depth decided the day: Paige Henney and Olivia Patton both posted 149 to share fifth, and Avery Lewis tied for 12th at 153. Snively's scoring on the four par 5s (a 4.1 average over two rounds) carried her six shots clear of the field. Carmel finished second at 615 and Westfield third at 622, keeping Hamilton County schools in three of the top four spots.
Southwestern Indiana's best was Castle in fifth. The Knights closed with a 315, matching their best state finals round in program history.
HSE's Sophie Roberts named Indiana's 2026 Miss Golf
The Indiana High School Golf Coaches Association named Hamilton Southeastern senior Sophie Roberts the state's 2026 Miss Golf, the honor for Indiana's top senior. The selection weighed points she earned across her career along with her regional and state finishes.
Roberts shot 72 to help HSE win the Lapel Regional at Edgewood by 11 strokes, then closed her career with a 77-78 (155) at Battle Ground to tie for 18th as the Royals placed fourth at state. As a junior she won the Edgewood regional with a 68, one of the lowest rounds in girls regional history. HSE finished in the top five at state in each of her last three seasons.
Next up: Roberts has committed to play college golf at the University of Findlay, an NCAA Division II program in Ohio.
Defending champion Westfield rallied through rain on the final day at Prairie View to win its second straight title and fifth overall, finishing one stroke ahead of Center Grove. Hudson Kutchma led the Shamrocks as individual medalist. Guerin Catholic placed third and Castle fourth.
The Trojans led after the first round and finished +17, one shot short of the title. They still collected Johnson County, sectional and regional championships in one of the best seasons in program history under coach Matt Rodman.
The IHSAA Executive Committee approved Battle Ground Golf Club near Lafayette as the late replacement host for the 54th girls State Finals after the planned site said it could not host. The course played 5,645 yards with four par 5s.
Purdue, IU, Notre Dame, Ball State, Butler and the rest of the state's NCAA, NAIA and junior college programs, plus Indiana natives playing elsewhere.
Purdue MenOct. 13–14, 2026
Boilermakers win Purdue Fall Invitational again
Purdue posted rounds of 357-358-361 for a 4-under 1,076 at Kampen-Cosler and beat runner-up Toledo by eight strokes, defending the title it won last fall. Toledo junior Bence Bertenyi took medalist honors at 9-under. Cole Starnes, an Indiana native, tied for second at 7-under with rounds of 68-70-71.
Irish finish third at their own Fighting Irish Classic
California won at Warren Golf Course at 1-over 841, one shot ahead of Texas A&M and two clear of host Notre Dame. No team broke par on a demanding week in South Bend, and defending champion UCLA finished ninth.
Purdue opens after its best NCAA finish since 2004
The Boilermakers placed 23rd at the 2026 NCAA Championships and ended last season No. 42 in the Clippd rankings. Purdue has won a tournament in five straight seasons. The roster adds Sheffer, who won the Indiana Match Play and lost the Indiana Open in a playoff this summer.
Purdue shot 8-over 296 in the final round of the Boilermaker Classic to pass Indiana and North Florida for fourth. Junior Lauren Timpf closed with a 1-under 71 to finish ninth and led the 93-player field with 16 birdies.
The Hoosiers' spring schedule ends with an NCAA Regional in Bloomington on May 17, a rare chance to play the postseason at home. Fall stops included the Fighting Irish Classic, the Golfweek Invitational in Muncie and the Purdue Fall Invitational.
Clippd's Scoreboard is the NCAA's official scoring and rankings partner. The first 2026-27 release came out Oct. 14, 2026. Live lists are at scoreboard.clippd.com/rankings.
How the number is built
Strokes gained, not just finishes
The system was designed with Columbia professor Mark Broadie, who created strokes gained. After every event, each team and player earns points based on how many strokes they gained on the field, adjusted for course difficulty and field strength. Points are averaged by rounds played, so there's no bonus or penalty for choosing strong or weak events.
Princeton's Kotchasanmanee is the No. 1 Division I women's player without a win yet this season. Liberty men debuted at No. 17, their first top-25 appearance since 2020-21, and Santa Clara is No. 22, its first top-25 ranking since at least 2004.
Two Indiana teams sit inside the national top 25. Indiana is No. 77, Ball State No. 112 and Butler No. 121.
NCAA D-I women
Purdue leads at No. 23
The Boilermakers are the state's only top-25 women's team. Indiana is No. 45, Notre Dame No. 64 and Ball State No. 91.
NAIA
Indiana Wesleyan in the top 10 twice
IWU's men are No. 7 and its women No. 6. Marian (men No. 19, women No. 9) and Taylor (No. 22, No. 18) and Bethel's women (No. 17) give the Crossroads League seven top-25 teams.
Indiana Programs Tracker
Clippd release of Oct. 14, 2026
Program
Division
Conference
Men's rank
Women's rank
National team rankings within each division, from Scoreboard powered by Clippd (last updated Oct. 14, 2026). "No team" means the school doesn't field that team in Clippd's rankings; "Not ranked" means it hasn't played enough to earn a rank yet. Rankings update after each weekly release.
For Indiana juniors & parents
College Golf Recruiting
A practical guide for Indiana players: the NCAA calendar, how coaches evaluate you, and a tool to write your first email to a coach. Always confirm current rules at ncaa.org and the NCAA Eligibility Center.
The Division I calendar
Freshman & sophomore years
Build the record
Coaches can't initiate contact yet, but they're watching results and rankings. Play a full IHSAA season plus summer events where your scores get posted: Indiana Golf Foundation junior events, IJGA, AJGA and national junior tours. Keep your grades up from day one.
Sophomore year
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
You must be registered before a school can host you on an official visit. Register through your counselor's guidance early so it isn't a last-minute scramble.
June 15 after sophomore year
Coaches can contact you
D-I and D-II coaches can call, text, email, message you and make verbal offers. By that date, most coaches already know who they plan to call.
Aug. 1 before junior year
Visits open
Official and unofficial D-I visits can begin. You get one official visit per school. Junior year is when coaches make their strongest evaluations.
Senior year
Sign and finish strong
Sign your National Letter of Intent or written commitment, finish your core courses, and complete final amateurism certification.
Most competitive, and roster spots are tight after the NCAA settlement changes. Strong academics are leverage at elite schools.
In Indiana: Purdue, Indiana, Notre Dame, Ball State, Butler, Purdue Fort Wayne, Valparaiso, Evansville, Southern Indiana
NCAA D-II
Division II
Partial athletic scholarships. Contact begins June 15 after sophomore year.
In Indiana: University of Indianapolis and others
NCAA D-III
Division III
No athletic scholarships, but meaningful academic aid. Official visits no earlier than Jan. 1 of junior year.
In Indiana: DePauw, Wabash, Rose-Hulman, Hanover, Franklin, Trine, Manchester and more
NAIA & JUCO
NAIA & junior college
More flexible contact rules and athletic aid. Junior college can be a strong two-year bridge.
In Indiana: Crossroads League schools including Marian, Indiana Wesleyan, Taylor and Huntington
Checklist
Before you email a coach
Ask every coach
Questions that tell you where you stand
How many players are you recruiting in my class?
What scoring numbers do your current players post?
How are you evaluating my golf and academics so far?
What does a qualifying week look like for your lineup?
What academic and athletic aid is realistic?
Coach email builder
Fill in, then copy
Example draft
Signing day starts here
Indiana Commitment Announcements
Indiana high school and junior golfers who have committed to play college golf. Committed? Send your announcement to @ftcpcollegecommitments on Instagram, or email fromthecartpath1@gmail.com.
A photo in your new school's gear, if you have one
DM it all to @ftcpcollegecommitments on Instagram
Social post for the selected commitment
Choose "Make post" on a commitment above.
Hosted by Trent Roberts
The From the Cart Path Podcast
Conversations about Indiana junior golfers, college players and junior tours, with practical advice for players and parents. Regular guests include Yorktown coach Nate McClung, FTCP intern Elijah Lemmon and recruiting advisor Lauren Smith.
