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CARMEL – After three consecutive years of heartbreak at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, the Westfield Shamrocks made certain their 2025 boys golf team wouldn’t soon be forgotten.
 

State runners-up in 2024, ’23, and ’22, the top-ranked Shamrocks didn’t merely break through Wednesday night during the rain-delayed 88th Annual IHSAA Boys Golf State Finals. 
 

They captured the program’s fourth team state title all-time and first since 2016 with a sweeping, record-setting finish.
 

Collectively, the Shamrocks shot a historic, state-finals score of 8-under par (568) through the tournament’s two-day, 36-hole event. 
 

For added measure, senior Will Harvey claimed the school’s first-ever individual state championship with a near record-breaking, 9-under par (69-66-135) performance.
 

“It feels amazing. It really does. This group, man. I’ve enjoyed it all four years. Last three years, a little bit unfortunate, but I’m finally glad to get it done this year,” Harvey said. “This team had something to prove, and I think we definitely showed it today.”
 

The record books will echo exactly how dominant the Shamrocks proved to be.
 

Overall, Westfield set new state-finals records for the lowest 18-hole team score (280), lowest 36-hole team score (568) and widest margin of victory (30) while also becoming the seventh program to sweep the team state title, individual state title and Fred A. Keesling Mental Attitude Award in the same year.
 

“We were 8-under par. The boys came out hot, and it’s just something I’ll remember forever,” said Harvey, who was named the mental attitude award winner. “This group is grinders, man. Day in, day out, we grind. All the practice we put in, all the practice rounds we put together to prepare for moments like this. I think preparation is a big key, and we showed it.”
 

Harvey matched the tournament’s lowest 36-hole individual score set by Brownstown Central’s Chris Baker (68-67-135) at The Legends of Indiana in 2003.
 

The Shamrock’s low 18-hole score shot on Wednesday bested Center Grove’s 281 established in 2017. Their 36-hole score also toppled Center Grove’s 573 from 2017.
 

Westfield’s margin of victory over state runner-up Homestead (598) surpassed Noblesville’s previous record of 27 set in 1998. The third-ranked Homestead Spartans’ team score was their lowest ever posted at the state finals and led to their best finish in tournament history.
 

No. 5 Noblesville (600) placed third this year, followed by No. 2 Zionsville (601) in fourth and No. 4 Evansville North (607) in fifth.
 

“We’re going to finish the season averaging under par, which we’ve never had at Westfield,” Shamrock coach Josh Bryant said. “There’s probably been a few teams here and there that have done that, but certainly it’s our first one, and we’ve had some pretty good teams.”
 

A three-time state champion prior in 2013, ’15 and ’16, Westfield had three golfers garner all-state honors among the top eight with senior Jake Cesare going 4-under par (69-71-140) at fifth overall and junior Ryan Cesare finishing even (74-70-144) tied for eighth. Junior Hudson Kutchma (76-77-153) went 9-over par.
 

Westfield left the state tournament’s opening day atop the leaderboard six strokes ahead of Zionsville at even (288) with two eagles, seven birdies, four bogeys and two double bogeys.
 

On the second day, their lead grew behind four eagles, five birdies and six bogeys. The Shamrocks had five pars.
 

“Mindset today was going in making pars, and if one goes in, one goes in. I think I did a good job today,” Harvey said. “I don’t think I made a bogey, so that was a goal. Proud of this team and proud of myself for fighting today.”
 

Westfield’s team title was won before the back nine concluded, but Harvey’s individual title run was delayed momentarily, as the final round was suspended for three hours due to inclement weather.
 

Halted at 4 p.m. before play resumed shortly after 7 p.m., Harvey was deadlocked for the lead with Evansville North senior Luke Johnston at 7-under par with two holes remaining.
 

On the 17th hole, Harvey separated himself from Johnston and Zionsville sophomore Brycen Tisch (6-under par), who had one hole to go.
 

Back-to-back birdies by Harvey on 17 and 18 and a bogey by Johnston on 17 provided the cushion.
 

“Surreal. I mean, it’s one that you don’t get to experience often, so I really tried to soak it in and enjoy the moment,” Harvey remarked on sinking his birdie putt on 18. “During the delay, we were inside eating pizza with some other teams just talking, messing around, trying to stay loose. It definitely relaxed me.”
 

Harvey carded one bogey through 36 holes, 10 birdies and shot par on the other 25.
 

“Win the day. We knew if we won the day today, then we were going to win the thing,” Harvey said. “It feels great to win the day.”
 

Gibson Southern senior Peyton Blackard (72-66-138) and Johnston (67-71-138) tied for second at 6-under par. Tisch was fourth at 5-under par (139). 
 

Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger junior Alex Holder was sixth at 2-under par (142), and Castle junior Brayden Lamborne placed seventh at 1-under par (143). Jasper senior Caleb Schnarr was eighth at even (144).
 

“We did our thing on the back nine. Talked about it on the bus today. ‘Hey, we’re coming out. The golf course is scorable and attackable,’” Bryant said. “A lot of times, I mean, maybe you give conservative ideas, and you know, let’s make sure we only make par. We didn’t really talk about that this year with the conditions, and the boys came out. You could see it in their eyes on the bus. It’s an experienced group.”
 

Now, they are state champions after three consecutive near misses.

“Everything fell into place today, and the momentum got on our side, and our guys earned it,” Bryant said. “And, you know, certainly getting the monkey off your back. It feels great. It kind of feels like maybe we put a rocket on that monkey and sent it into outer space rather than just kind of knocking it off. That’ll be a team that will be remembered forever.”

Will Harvey wins Keesling Mental Attitude Award

Will Harvey of Westfield High School was named the winner of the Fred A. Keesling Mental Attitude Award by the IHSAA Executive Committee following tournament play on Wednesday.

Harvey finished as the 2025 Individual Champion (69-66-135), posting a record-tying 36-Hole score of 135. Harvey helped the Westfield Shamrocks secure their fourth boys golf state title in school history.

With the award, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented $1,000 to Westfield High School's general scholarship fund in the name of Will Harvey.

The Executive Committee presents the Fred A. Keesling Award to an outstanding senior participant during the state finals each year dating back to 1971. The recipient of the award, nominated by his principal, athletic director, and coach, was determined to have best demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in boys golf. The award is named after the late, long-time state tournament director.

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