Local golfers look forward to Indiana Amateur

<p>Noah Gillard’s knowledge of the golf course he’s playing this afternoon is mostly from memory.</p><p>Gillard, who just finished his freshman year with the University of Illinois men’s golf team, is among the local players in the Indiana Amateur Championship at Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville.</p><p>Competition begins today for 156 players. The low 60 (including ties) after Tuesday’s second round qualify for third- and fourth-round play.</p><p>“I’ve played it twice, but I think the last time was in eighth grade,” Gillard said. “I like it a lot because it’s a links-style course. It just fits me. It’s very hilly for an Indiana golf course, and there are very few trees to block wind.”</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>Five current and former Johnson County high school players are in the field this week.</p><p>Gillard, Ethan Shepherd and Logan Anderson are former players at Center Grove. Taylor University sophomore-to-be Javan Johnson is a Franklin graduate, while Damon Dickey is coming off a sophomore season for the Grizzly Cubs in which he qualified for the state meet as an individual.</p><p>Gillard’s first year of college included a bout of mononucleosis in the fall that reduced his weight from 160 pounds to 153. He only played three rounds for the Illini during the fall season, his average score a 71.3. In the spring he played eight rounds with a norm of 76.</p><p>“My freshman year was a mix of highs and lows,” said the 6-foot, 8-inch Gillard, who built his body to his current 182 pounds through weight training and closer attention to his diet. “There were a lot of learning experiences.”</p><p>Gillard’s busy summer schedule includes the Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship in Carrollton, Texas (July 8-12), and the Indiana Open Championship at Otter Creek in Columbus (July 15-17).</p><p>This contrasts the itinerary of Shepherd, who was Indiana University’s No. 2 player as a sophomore this past spring, averaging a score of 73.06. Starting July 8, Shepherd will spend more than a month studying abroad at the London School of Economics.</p><p>Shepherd is going to play in the Indiana PGA Monticello Open later this month before shifting his focus to academics. In the meantime, he looks forward to reacquainting himself with the many challenges Purgatory provides.</p><p>“The boys state was there going into my freshman year of college, and I finished second,” Shepherd said. “I’m not a big fan of the weeds or the heather, but I like the course. It’s out in the open, so it’s more susceptible to the wind.</p><p>“I was in the top five in this tournament last year, so I would be happy with that again.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><p><strong>Indiana Amateur Championship</strong></p><p>When: Today through Thursday</p><p>Where: Purgatory Golf Club, Noblesville</p><p>Johnson County players: Logan Anderson (2:12 p.m. tee time, No. 10), Damon Dickey (8:18 a.m., No. 1), Noah Gillard (1:18 p.m., No. 1), Javan Johnson (2:48 p.m., No. 10), Ethan Shepherd (1:09 p.m., No. 1).</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]