Through the Years

Since the KHSAA sanctioned its first golf championship in 1935, the Tigers have proven to be the gold standard for excellence and tradition throughout the Commonwealth. Beginning with the first state championship in 1951, the golf program has established a legacy of championship success that is second to none. With 13 individual winners and 21 team titles, Saint Xavier golfers have consistently proven themselves to be the most dominant program in Kentucky.

• Under the guidance of Brother Edward Joseph, the team captured the school's first four state titles (1951, 1952, 1954, and 1957).
• Bobby Nichols became the school's first individual winner in 1953. He repeated as champion in 1954 before enjoying a professional career that included the 1967 Ryder Cup team, a second-place finish at the 1967 Masters, and 12 PGA Tour victories, including the 1964 PGA Championship where he beat Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus with a record low score that would stand for 30 years.
• Frank Beard was the 1957 individual state champion before becoming a regular on the PGA Tour. While on the Tour, he was a member of the Ryder Cup teams in 1969 and 1971, captured 11 tour victories, and topped the PGA Tour money list in 1969.
• In 1958, Eddie Schnurr became the last individual winner under Brother Edward Joseph.
• Marty Donlon took over the program in 1963 and established the Kentucky Invitational Tournament (KIT) that showcases the best talent in the region. The 50th anniversary of the event was commemorated in 2013.
• Mike Zimmerer led the Tigers to the 1966 championship and captured the individual title as well.
• From 1967 until Pat Vadden won in 1991, the Tigers would not have an individual champion but would secure four team titles, including back-to-back championships in 1981 and 1982.
• In 1999, Brandon Waldrop started a trend that would see the Tigers capture both the individual and team titles within the same year in three of the next five seasons (Robbie Shaw, 2001; Jessie Mudd, 2002; and Matt Savage, 2004).
• Marty Donlon retired as coach in 2007 after continuing the tradition of excellence for 45 years. Coach Donlon's teams captured 12 team championships and six individual titles. Dan Utley was introduced as the new golf coach and replaced the longest-tenured head coach in school history.
• David Payne added to legacy of champion golfers when he captured the 2008 crown and helped secure the team title in 2008, earning Coach Utley a team title in his first year.
• In 2009, Justin Thomas claimed the state crown and guided the team to its 18th state championship. Justin played on the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup team and earned the Haskins Award as NCAA Player of the Year in 2012 as a freshman at the University of Alabama. His 2013 Alabama team was NCAA National Champion.
• Stephen Stallings became the most recent Tiger to win the individual state title in 2011.
• The Tigers finished as state team runner-up in both 2012 and 2013 and missed out on the title by a total of nine strokes combined over the two state tournaments.
• In 2014 the Tigers returned to the podium with an impressive championship effort to win the 20th state championship for the St. X Golf program. Led by low scorer Allen Hamilton, St. X placed all five golfers in the top 20 finishers.
• In 2015 the Tiger Team of Allen Hamilton, Billy Basham, Michael Sass, Drew Kiehl, and Matt Liston returned as seniors and did not miss a beat as they repeated as state champions. Liston led the way as the low scorer for the team, and the Tigers posted a record-breaking team total of 557 at 19 shots under par for the program's 20th state title.
• In 2016 the Tigers won their 21st title and third championship in as many years behind a very young and talented group of golfers. After graduating all five seniors from the 2015 championship team, senior Clay Amlung led the way to the team championship as he also won the individual title. The rest of the team was comprised of underclassmen: juniors Andrew Hinkebein, Will Fowler, and Jay Kirchdorfer, along with freshman Campbell Kremer. In addition to being the individual champion, Amlung was also honored as Courier Journal Golfer of the Year for 2016.
• The Tiger Golf team had an outstanding 2017, as it won the KIT Tourney and Region Six Tournament and finished runner-up in the KHSAA State Championship. Sophomore Drew Doyle tied a course record on his way to winning individual honors in the Region Six Tournament. For the first time since Justin Thomas received the honor in 2009, Doyle was named Kentucky's Mr. Golf. He was also honored as the Courier Journal's Golfer of the Year for 2017.
• In 2018 the Tiger Golf team won the KIT Tournament (and set a tournament record in the process), won the Region Six Tournament, and finished as runner-up in the KHSAA State Championship. Juniors Drew Doyle and Robbie Bender both finished tied for sixth in the 2018 State Tournament. Campbell Kremer was named First Team All-State, and Drew Doyle was named Second Team All-State.
• The 2019 Tigers won a remarkable eight tournaments during the season, including the first six they participated in, and finished second in another four events. The Tigers finished second at region and qualified all four scorers for the state championship (senior Drew Doyle, senior Patrick Brooks, senior Bryce Beard, and senior Robbie Bender).
• The 2020 Tigers won three tournaments, finished as runner-up in the 6th region, and qualified three team members for the state tournament. The Tigers won the Battle on the Mountaintop, Rocket Invitational, and the Shamrock Invitational. In addition, sophomore Wes Beard won the Rocket Invitational and junior Jackson Finney won the Taylor County Invitational. Finney, senior Sean Mullarkey, and junior Charlie Dahlem qualified for the state tournament. Finney was named 1st team all-state.
• The 2021 Golf Tigers lost a heartbreaking playoff in the 6th region championship at Nevel Meade. CAL's Matthew Troutman chipped in for eagle on 18 to force a three-way tie between St. X, CAL, and South Oldham. On the first playoff hole, CAL's cumulative score of -2 was one stroke better than the Tigers, and CAL would advance to the state championship. Senior Kash Albarado finished 3-under, tied for second, and went on to represent the Tigers at the state championship. To illustrate just how competitive the 6th region was in 2021, Albarado was the only qualifier, despite all five golfers finishing +5 or better (senior Jackson Finney E, senior Charlie Dahlem +1, junior Wes Beard +2, and junior Abe WIlliams +5).
• The Tigers won two tournaments during the 2021 season (Battle on the Mountaintop, Henry Clay Invitational), and finished 1st in the KY Cup - Stroke Play, before falling in the Match Play portion of the event. In addition, the Tigers claimed 2nd place in the Colonel Classic, the Madison Central Invitational, the All-State Invitational, and the KGCA Invitational. Senior Jackson Finney won individual titles at the Lafayette Invitational and the Henry Clay Invitational.
• In 2022, the Tigers captured two team tournament titles at the Battle at the Bridge and the Dragon Invitational. While the team narrowly missed out advancing out of the region, finishing third in a playoff, Luke Daley and Abe Williams both made it through semi-state qualifying to the state tournament.
• In 2023, the Tigers golf team returned to the state tournament. The young squad took three freshmen, one sophomore, and one senior, posting the best score on day two, and finishing third overall.
• The 2024 Tigers captured the Region 5 Championship and advanced through the KHSAA postseason to compete in the KHSAA State Championship.
• In 2025 the Tigers returned to the top of Kentucky golf, capturing the KHSAA Boys State Championship making that the programs 22nd state title.