2020-21 Men's Golf Roster
Merchent, Clay
Clay Merchent
- Weight:
- null
- Height:
- 6-0
- Year:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Noblesville, Ind.
- High School:
- Noblesville
Bio
2025-26 (Redshirt Senior)
• Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List
• Team Captain
2024-25 (Redshirt Junior)
• All-Big Ten Second Team
• PING Division I All-Region
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 7)
• Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List
• Team Captain
Played 33 rounds across 11 events … compiled a team-best 21 at or below par, including a season-low of 65 in the second round of the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Invitational … posted a stroke average of 71.58, the fourth-lowest mark in program history (minimum 20 rounds) … finished inside the top-20 in six tournaments and inside the top-5 in three events … played a 217 (71-71-75; +4) to finish t-38th at the NCAA Urbana Regional … carded a 213 (66-70-77; +3) to tie for 15th at the Big Ten Championships … tied for 18th at the Purdue Invitational with a score of 212 (71-70-71; -1) … signed for a 214 (76-70-68; -2) at the Schenkel Invitational to tie for 13th … registered a score of 230 (75-75-80; +14) to finish t-52nd at the Colleton River Collegiate … posted a score of 210 (72-70-68; -6) to tie for fourth at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate … shot a 199 (67-65-67; -14) to tie for fourth at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Invitational … third player (Jeff Overton and Drew Salyers) in program history to shoot under 200 at a 54-hole event … played a scorecard of 221 (74-74-73; +11) to tie for 50th at the Fighting Irish Classic … tied for 25th at the Windon Memorial Classic with a score of 218 (71-77-70; +5)… earned runner-up honors (t-2nd) at the Purdue Fall Invitational with a three-round score of 211 (77-65-69; -5)… tied for 52nd at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate with a three-round scorecard of 217 (68-70-79; +7).
2023-24 (Redshirt Sophomore)
Did not see tournament action.
2022-23 (Medical Hardship Season)
Missed the final 11 events of the season with injury … granted a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA ... placed 72nd at the Windon Memorial Classic with a scorecard of 226 (71-72-83; +16) … finished t-31st at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational after shooting a 216 (72-72-72; +6).
2021-22 (Sophomore)
Competed in 34 rounds across 12 tournaments … averaged 74.18 strokes per round … earned three top-20 and one top-10 finish … shot a team-best 2-over par 74 in the opening round of the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional before subbing out due to injury … placed t-21st at the Big Ten Championship with a scorecard of 225 (71-75-79; +9) … tied for sixth at the Kepler Intercollegiate after shooting 211 (69-72-70; -5) … tied for 57th at the Boilermaker Invitational with a three-round score of 231 (74-76-81; +18) … shot a 220 (73-79-68; +4) to finish t-41st at the Colleton River Collegiate ... finished t-19th at the Nexus Collegiate with a three-round score of 235 (78-84-73; +19) ... defeated Troy Taylor II (2&1) of Michigan State and played even with James Allen of Penn State the Big Ten Match Play Championships … closed the fall slate with a 57th-place effort at The Williams Cup with a score of 234 (75-80-79; +18) ... tied for 39th overall at the Quail Valley Collegiate with a score of 215 (70-74-71; -1) ... placed t-28th in Indiana's team title at the Purdue Fall Invitational with a score of 220 (74-74-72; +4) ... tied for the team lead and for 16th overall at the Windon Memorial Classic with a score of 211 (67-76-68; -2) ... shot a 220 (76-72-72; +10) to place t-42nd at the Fighting Illini Invitational ... tied for 40th at the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational with a score of 226 (79-74-73; +13)
2020-21 (Freshman)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• All-Big Ten First Team
• PING Division I All-Region
Posted a season average of 72.46, the best-ever for an Indiana freshman … the average is the best for any Hoosier since Alex Martin posted a 72.33 in 2010 and it is the 10th best average in IU history (both 20 round minimums) … earned four top-10 finishes and a pair of top-5 finishes … became just the third Hoosier to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year … opened the stroke play portion of the schedule by carding a 7-under-par 209 to finish tied for 3rd place at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate … finished tied for 9th at 3-under in the Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island … tied for 8th place at the General Hackler Championship … carded a season-low 67 in the second round of the Boilermaker Invitational as he finished tied for 4th place … had back-to-back events where he tied for 13th place in the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate and the Big Ten Championship.
Prep/Personal
Merchent is a four-time All-State selection from Noblesville High School, where his scoring average in his senior season was a 70 (-22), capped off by a second-place finish at State… nationally, he posted a pair of AJGA wins and seven top-10 finishes, including at the Thunderbird Invitational and the Ping Invitational … also finished in the top-10 at the Western Junior, Sage Valley Junior and Pete Dye Jr. Invitational and finished in the top-5 at both the Rice Planters and Southern Amateur events … a two-time participant in the USGA Junior, Junior PGA, Rolex of Champions and AJGA CB&I/Simplify Boys Championship … also participated in the 2017 USGA Amateur … earned the AJGA Jim Harrison Sportsmanship Award … currently owns the record for the longest drive at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National at 304 yards … son of Mike and Tenna … has one sibling, Asher.
• Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List
• Team Captain
2024-25 (Redshirt Junior)
• All-Big Ten Second Team
• PING Division I All-Region
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 7)
• Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List
• Team Captain
Played 33 rounds across 11 events … compiled a team-best 21 at or below par, including a season-low of 65 in the second round of the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Invitational … posted a stroke average of 71.58, the fourth-lowest mark in program history (minimum 20 rounds) … finished inside the top-20 in six tournaments and inside the top-5 in three events … played a 217 (71-71-75; +4) to finish t-38th at the NCAA Urbana Regional … carded a 213 (66-70-77; +3) to tie for 15th at the Big Ten Championships … tied for 18th at the Purdue Invitational with a score of 212 (71-70-71; -1) … signed for a 214 (76-70-68; -2) at the Schenkel Invitational to tie for 13th … registered a score of 230 (75-75-80; +14) to finish t-52nd at the Colleton River Collegiate … posted a score of 210 (72-70-68; -6) to tie for fourth at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate … shot a 199 (67-65-67; -14) to tie for fourth at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Invitational … third player (Jeff Overton and Drew Salyers) in program history to shoot under 200 at a 54-hole event … played a scorecard of 221 (74-74-73; +11) to tie for 50th at the Fighting Irish Classic … tied for 25th at the Windon Memorial Classic with a score of 218 (71-77-70; +5)… earned runner-up honors (t-2nd) at the Purdue Fall Invitational with a three-round score of 211 (77-65-69; -5)… tied for 52nd at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate with a three-round scorecard of 217 (68-70-79; +7).
2023-24 (Redshirt Sophomore)
Did not see tournament action.
2022-23 (Medical Hardship Season)
Missed the final 11 events of the season with injury … granted a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA ... placed 72nd at the Windon Memorial Classic with a scorecard of 226 (71-72-83; +16) … finished t-31st at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational after shooting a 216 (72-72-72; +6).
2021-22 (Sophomore)
Competed in 34 rounds across 12 tournaments … averaged 74.18 strokes per round … earned three top-20 and one top-10 finish … shot a team-best 2-over par 74 in the opening round of the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional before subbing out due to injury … placed t-21st at the Big Ten Championship with a scorecard of 225 (71-75-79; +9) … tied for sixth at the Kepler Intercollegiate after shooting 211 (69-72-70; -5) … tied for 57th at the Boilermaker Invitational with a three-round score of 231 (74-76-81; +18) … shot a 220 (73-79-68; +4) to finish t-41st at the Colleton River Collegiate ... finished t-19th at the Nexus Collegiate with a three-round score of 235 (78-84-73; +19) ... defeated Troy Taylor II (2&1) of Michigan State and played even with James Allen of Penn State the Big Ten Match Play Championships … closed the fall slate with a 57th-place effort at The Williams Cup with a score of 234 (75-80-79; +18) ... tied for 39th overall at the Quail Valley Collegiate with a score of 215 (70-74-71; -1) ... placed t-28th in Indiana's team title at the Purdue Fall Invitational with a score of 220 (74-74-72; +4) ... tied for the team lead and for 16th overall at the Windon Memorial Classic with a score of 211 (67-76-68; -2) ... shot a 220 (76-72-72; +10) to place t-42nd at the Fighting Illini Invitational ... tied for 40th at the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational with a score of 226 (79-74-73; +13)
2020-21 (Freshman)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• All-Big Ten First Team
• PING Division I All-Region
Posted a season average of 72.46, the best-ever for an Indiana freshman … the average is the best for any Hoosier since Alex Martin posted a 72.33 in 2010 and it is the 10th best average in IU history (both 20 round minimums) … earned four top-10 finishes and a pair of top-5 finishes … became just the third Hoosier to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year … opened the stroke play portion of the schedule by carding a 7-under-par 209 to finish tied for 3rd place at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate … finished tied for 9th at 3-under in the Spartan Collegiate at Sea Island … tied for 8th place at the General Hackler Championship … carded a season-low 67 in the second round of the Boilermaker Invitational as he finished tied for 4th place … had back-to-back events where he tied for 13th place in the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate and the Big Ten Championship.
Prep/Personal
Merchent is a four-time All-State selection from Noblesville High School, where his scoring average in his senior season was a 70 (-22), capped off by a second-place finish at State… nationally, he posted a pair of AJGA wins and seven top-10 finishes, including at the Thunderbird Invitational and the Ping Invitational … also finished in the top-10 at the Western Junior, Sage Valley Junior and Pete Dye Jr. Invitational and finished in the top-5 at both the Rice Planters and Southern Amateur events … a two-time participant in the USGA Junior, Junior PGA, Rolex of Champions and AJGA CB&I/Simplify Boys Championship … also participated in the 2017 USGA Amateur … earned the AJGA Jim Harrison Sportsmanship Award … currently owns the record for the longest drive at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National at 304 yards … son of Mike and Tenna … has one sibling, Asher.
| Year | Rds. | Strokes | Avg. | Low |
| 2020-21 | 24 | 1739 | 72.46 | 67 |
| 2021-22 | 34 | 2522 | 74.18 | 67 |
| 2022-23 | 6 | 442 | 73.67 | 71 |
| 2023-24 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024-25 | 33 | 2362 | 71.58 | 65 |
| TOTALS | 97 | 7065 | 72.84 | 65 |
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