Working man Stirsman still has game

Carmel golfer in top 10 after Indiana Amateur second round

By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The heroes of high school golf eventually become like everyone else: working for a living.

That doesn’t mean they still can’t play. Some of them play rather well, such as Clay Stirsman. A two-time state champion for the Carmel Greyhounds, Stirsman is taking a few days to compete in the Indiana Amateur Championship, which completed its second round of play Tuesday at the Broadmoor Club in Indianapolis.

Stirsman is tied for sixth place after the first two rounds. He scored a two under par 70 for his second round; add that to a seven under 65 opening round performance, and Stirsman currently sits at nine-under par for the tournament. He made three birdies in his second round.

In fact, Stirsman briefly held the lead during the second round. He competed in the morning wave, so a few of the afternoon wave golfers moved ahead of him throughout the day. But Stirsman is still in a good position, as he is only four strokes behind the leader, Indianapolis’ Matt Vogt, who is 13 under.

Stirsman told The Reporter that he is “super grateful to be in contention and in the hunt again.” Stirsman said he hasn’t been “playing a ton of tournament golf,” since he is in the working world now.

“I work at Collier’s Capital Markets,” said Stirsman. “We represent institutional and private capital clients across the Midwest for their industrial disposition needs.”

Stirsman is enjoying his job and also said he’s “grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to get out here and play this week a little bit.”

After winning two state championships with the Greyhounds, Stirsman played golf for four years at Wake Forest University, graduating in 2024. While he still plays “three times a week,” Stirsman said his last official tournament was last year’s Indiana Amateur, “unless I’m missing something incredibly big,” he said.

‘I played some scramble tournaments since then, but for real individual golf, I think it was State Am last year,” said Stirsman.

And yet, Stirsman is a viable contender for the championship. He credits maturity and an adult’s perspective for his ability to be able to come out and play high-level golf, even after a long time away from tournament play.

“My mind has matured since I’ve been in the ‘all things golf’ realm,” said Stirsman. “Now that I’m full-time working, it’s pretty easy to understand that there’s bigger problems than being upset with the way you’re playing golf right now. I see different community impacts and what really happens in the real world. It’s been a little bit eye-opening and all that perspective has propelled me into a better seat now.”

But as long as he’s playing, Stirsman will do his best to get the trophy.

“I would love to be in contention and get an Amateur one day,” said Stirsman. “I got the junior [championship] in 2020 and I’ve been looking for a State Am or a State Open ever since, and that’s what I’ll always look towards is summer golf and trying to get one done in the summer.”

Walters, Cesare in top 10

Two other Hamilton County golfers are in the top 10 after the second round of the Indiana Amateur.

Carmel’s Michael Walters and Westfield’s Jake Cesare are tied for eighth place at eight under par. Walters went five under for the second round, scoring 67 with five birdies and no bogeys. Cesare scored a four-under 68 on Tuesday, making six birdies.

The field was cut to the top 60 and ties after the second round finished, with 67 golfers making the cut of three over par. Today’s final round begins at 8 a.m.

A list of Hamilton County golfers that made the cut now follows.

T6. Clay Stirsman, Carmel 65-70=135, T8. Michael Walters, Carmel 69-67=136; Jake Cesare, Westfield 68-68=136, T13. Cole Starnes, Fishers 67-71=138; Nicholas Dentino, Carmel 67-71=138, T17. Andrew Rhodes, Westfield 69-81=140, T22. Tyler Marucci, Noblesville 70-71=141, T27. Bobby Delagrange, Carmel 71-71=142, T35. Connor McNeely, Noblesville 74-69=143, T42. Robert Wuethrich, Westfield 74-70=144; Dane Starnes, Fishers 72-72=144, T53. Matt Haneline, Fishers 75-71=146, T57. Drew Shafer, Carmel 73-74-147.