As sixth-year senior Noah Gillard gears up for his final postseason as a Hoosier, he couldn’t help but pick up some hardware on his way out. After a second-place finish in the Hoosier Collegiate, the league office rewarded Gillard with his first-ever Big Ten Men’s Golfer of the Week award.
The Greenwood, Indiana, native has come a long way collegiately, opening his career in 2018 at the University of Illinois, where he spent three seasons, then spending his final three years in Bloomington. Over the weekend, Gillard recorded his best finish as a Hoosier, placing second overall for an Indiana team that steamrolled the competition by 17 strokes.
Gillard was the key piece in Indiana’s first team win of the season, ending with a three-round scorecard of 213 (73-69-71; E). Not only did Gillard finish second, but he kept the looming hazard of 30 mile per hour wind gusts in his back mirror. Gillard, who turns 25 in May, will have one more ride with his Hoosier teammates before trying his hand at the professional level.
Over his three rounds at the Hoosier Collegiate, par 5’s proved to be Gillard’s bread and butter. The Center Grove High School graduate attacked par 5’s aggressively, leading all 88 individuals in par 5 scoring at 4.11, a total of eight strokes under par.
Gillard’s consistency was on full display, as he remained in the top three throughout the entire tournament. With eight total birdies and an eagle in the first round, Gillard maintained the pace for the Hoosiers’ eventual victory, marking their first team win since 2021.
Gillard’s second place finish at the Hoosier Collegiate marks his third top-10 finish of the season and fourth in his Indiana career. He most recently finished inside the top-10 in the Battle at Briar’s Creek on Feb. 6, where he posted scores of 142 (71-71; -2) while tying for fourth.
Gillard and company will close out the regular season at the Robert Kepler Invitational hosted by Ohio State from April 19-21. After that, it’s off to the Big Ten Championships from April 26-28 right back in Columbus, Ohio.
