Women’s Golf Begins Season at Home, Hosting the Boilermaker Classic

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Women's Golf begins the 2024-25 season looking to defend their home tournament title, welcoming 14 teams to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Classic (Sept. 2-3). The 54-hole stroke play tournament will be contested on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Monday, Sept. 2: Rounds 1 and 2 (9 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
Tuesday, Sept. 3: Round 3 (9 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
 
THE LINEUP (+3 INDIVIDUALS)
Momo Sugiyama – Sr.

• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree in both seasons as a Boilermaker
• Making her 26th appearance as a Boilermaker, cracking the lineup in every tournament over the past two years
• Ended the 2023-24 season ranked No. 126 in the national rankings
• Last year, produced a team-best 72.45 stroke average for the third-best single-season stroke average in school history
• Carded 19 rounds of par-or-better a year ago, also the third most in a single season by a Boilermaker
• Had five Top 10 finishes a season ago, including a fourth-place performance at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (72-75-70—217)
• Her 10th-place finish was the first Top 10 by a Boilermaker at the B1G Championships since 2019; also produced the lowest 54-hole score (71-73-71—215) by a Purdue golfer in the tournament since 2018
• Her two-round 145 (75-70) at the 2024 Spartan Sun Coast Invitational was the seventh-best 36-hole total in school history
• Began last spring by leading the Boilermakers at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic, placing eighth with a career-low 211 (67-73-71) that featured a personal-best round of 67 (-5)
• Tied for ninth at the 2023 Boilermaker Classic with a 1-under 215 (73-69-73) to help Purdue claim the tournament title to start the season
• Tied Purdue's single-season record with six rounds in the 60s during the 2022-23 campaign
• Two-time WGCA All-American Scholar, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten

 
Jocelyn Bruch – Sr.

• Making her team-high 34th appearance as a Boilermaker
• Ended last season ranked No. 283 in the national rankings
• Recorded a 74.43 stroke average last season, which included posting the team-low round eight times
• Made a hole-in-one in the final round of the 2024 NCAA Las Vegas Regional, leading the Boilermakers with a 74 in extremely windy conditions; tallied 41 pars throughout the week to lead the 69-player field and tied for 24th on the individual leaderboard (76-72-74—222)
• Tied for 14th at the 2024 B1G Championships, securing her best placing and 54-hole total (73-71-72—216) of the spring and joining Sugiyama with Purdue's only par-or-better three-round scores in the tournament since 2018
• Fired a career-low 209 (69-70-70) at the 2023 Schooner Fall Classic for the 10th-best three-round total in school history
• Paced the field in par-4 scoring (-3) to help the Boilermakers win the 2023 Mary Fossum Invitational, tying for seventh on the individual leaderboard for her second career Top 10 (76-70-71—217)
• Cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career, tying for sixth with a 4-under 212 (69-69-74) to help Purdue win the 2023 Boilermaker Classic
• Earned a 2024 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten; graduated last spring

Jasmine Kahler – So.

• Ended the 2023-24 season ranked No. 253 in the national rankings
• Played in 10 tournaments as a freshman, including four in the Purdue lineup (final four of the season)
• Recorded a 74.43 stroke average a season ago
• Led the Boilermakers at the 2024 NCAA Las Vegas Regional, tying for eighth at even-par (71-70-75—216) for her second Top 10 of the season and her first Top 10 as part of the Purdue lineup
• Collected a Top 20 finish in her first Big Ten Championships, ending the tournament with a 1-under 71 to finish 2-over for the week (75-72-71—218); made 40 pars to rank third in the 84-player field
• Competing as an individual last spring, tied for 6th at The Bruzzy with a career-low 213 (73-70-70), her best finish as a Boilermaker; the 213 was the eighth-best 54-hole total by a freshman in program history
• In her Purdue debut, tied for 22nd as an individual in the Boilermaker Classic (73-72-76—221)

 
Natasha Kiel – Sr.

• Making her 14th appearance as a Boilermaker, but playing in her 26th collegiate tournament
• ne of four Boilermakers to crack the lineup for all 13 tournaments last year, her first season at Purdue
• Made four of Purdue's 10 eagles last season to lead the Boilermakers
• Recorded a 74.29 stroke average to rank third on the team a season ago
• Ranked second in par-4 scoring (-1) and tied for ninth (73-72-73—218) to help the Boilermakers win the 2023 Mary Fossum Invitational
• Transferred to Purdue after two seasons at Vanderbilt

 
Samantha Brown – Fr.

• Making her collegiate debut
• Finished her junior golf career ranked No. 49 in the country by Junior Golf Scoreboard
• Participated in the 2024 U.S. Women's Open and 2024 U.S. Girls Junior Championship
• Won the 2024 Women's Western Junior
• Four-time all-state honoree
• Won 24 of 48 high school tournaments and finished 1-under par throughout her entire high school career, which included a cumulative 37-under par as a senior
• As a senior, named Indiana Girls Golfer of the Year by USA Today, earning a spot on the All-USA Today HSSA Girls Golf Team

 
Jade Gu – Sr. (Competing as an individual)

• Competing in her 17th tournament, including the sixth as an individual
• Played in eight tournaments a season ago, including five times in the Purdue lineup, and recorded a 76.41 stroke average
• Came off the bench to play in the third round of the 2024 NCAA Championships
• Tied for 39th at last spring's Briar's Creek Invitational (70-71-82—223) which included a team-low 70 (-2) in the opening round; her 54-hole total of 223 was a season best
• Two-time WGCA All-American Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten

 
Lauren Timpf – Fr. (Competing as an individual)

• Making her collegiate debut
• Finished her junior golf career ranked No. 98 in the country by Junior Golf Scoreboard
• Three-time MHSAA State Champion
• Recorded a 69.4 stroke average as a senior, leading to medalist honors at 10 events
• Made the Round of 64 at the 2024 U.S. Girls Junior Championship after tying for 33rd in stroke play

 
Michaela Headlee – Fr. (Competing as an individual)

• Making her collegiate debut
• Four-time all-state honoree
• Finished runner-up (+2) at the 2023 IHSAA State Championship to lead Carmel to a second consecutive state title
• Posted a 73.1 stroke average as a senior

 
THE FIELD
Abilene Christian
Alabama
Ball State
Georgia Southern
Indiana
James Madison
Kent State
Michigan
Minnesota
North Florida
Notre Dame
Old Dominion
Purdue
Western Kentucky
Xavier
 
THE COURSE

• Two championship 18-hole courses make up the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, both designed by legendary golf course architect Pete Dye.
• The Boilermaker Classic will be contested on the Kampen-Cosler Course, a links-style par 72 that will play at 6,299 yards.
• Kampen-Cosler is rated one of the top collegiate courses in the nation and has been awarded 4.5 stars on Golf Digest's "Places to Play." Kampen-Cosler is ranked as one of the most difficult golf courses in Indiana.
• The course has hosted a number of prestigious collegiate and public tournaments, including the 2003 NCAA Women's Golf Championship and the 2005 Women's Western Amateur. Next year, it will be home to the 2025 Junior PGA Championships.

 
LAST YEAR'S TOURNAMENT VICTORY

• Purdue protected its home course, starting the 2023-24 season by beating 14 other teams to win the Boilermaker Classic. The Boilermakers finished the 54-hole event 12-under par (296-270-286—852) on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Complex, six shots ahead of runner-up Alabama.
• The 54-hole team total matched the fourth-lowest score in school history alongside the Boilermakers' performance at the 2008 Indiana Invitational.
• After building a lead thanks to a school-record 270 (-18) in the second round, Purdue posted another under-par round (-2) to remain atop the leaderboard and capture the team title.
• Jocelyn Bruch cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career. She placed sixth with a career-low 212 (69-69-74), breaking her previous best by five strokes.
• Momo Sugiyama finished another tournament in red figures, firing a 215 (-1) with a 69 sandwiched in between rounds of 73. She tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard.

 
HISTORY AT HOME

• The Boilermakers will be hosting a tournament on one of their home courses for the second time since 2019.
• The Boilermaker Classic returned to the schedule last season, as Purdue captured the season-opening tournament on the Kampen-Cosler Course, while the 2019 Boilermaker Classic was held on the Ackerman-Allan Course.
• In the 2019 Boilermaker Classic, assistant coach Lauren Guiao placed fifth on the individual leaderboard with rounds of 73 (+1) and 72 (E).

 
VETERANS AND NEWCOMERS

• Purdue returns a plethora of talent for the 2024-25 campaign, bringing back five golfers that competed in at least eight tournaments a season ago led by two-time All-Big Ten honoree Momo Sugiyama.
• Jocelyn Bruch and Natasha Kiel are back for the senior seasons after playing in all 13 events last year, while Jasmine Kahler made an immediate impact with 10 tournament appearances as a freshman.
• Jade Gu brings veteran experience as well after playing in eight tournaments throughout the 2023-24 season and 22 throughout her career.
• The freshman class features the best golfers in both Indiana (Samantha Brown) and Michigan (Lauren Timpf), along with four-time all-state and two-time state champion Michaela Headlee.

 
2023-24 RECAP

• The Boilermakers earned their ninth straight NCAA Regional berth in the second season under head coach Zack Byrd, producing two wins and four Top 3 finishes throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
• Purdue secured a spot the NCAA Championships for the 19th time in program history, placing runner-up at the NCAA Las Vegas Regional at Spanish Trail Country Club. At the regional, the Boilermakers fired an 8-under 280 during the second round, setting a new program best for the lowest round in an NCAA Regional and matching the 2010 Boilermakers at the NCAA Championships for Purdue's best round in any NCAA tournament.
• Capturing the Boilermaker Classic and the Mary Fossum Invitational, Purdue won multiple tournaments in a season for the first time in seven years.
• The Boilermakers also produced two of the lowest five team totals (54 holes) in school history, a program-best 837 at the Schooner Fall Classic and an 852 (fifth) at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic.
• Purdue placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships with an even-par 864, the Boilermakers' best score in the league tournament since 2016.

 
BYRD ELEVATED TO DIRECTOR OF GOLF

• After leading Purdue Women's Golf to numerous school records and tournament titles in his first two seasons as head coach, Zack Byrd signed an extension and was elevated to Purdue Director of Golf.
• Along with entering his third year as head coach of the women's team, Byrd now has oversight of both Purdue golf programs and will provide leadership support to the new men's golf coach.
• In two seasons under Byrd's guidance, Purdue has collected three tournament titles. The Boilermakers won three tournaments over the previous six seasons before Byrd's arrival.
• Seventeen of the 50 lowest team rounds in program history have occurred under Byrd, including the school record 270 (-18) at the 2023 Boilermaker Classic as well as the second-best round, a 274 at the 2023 Schooner Fall Classic.

 
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE

• Entering his third season, head coach Zack Byrd put together a challenging slate that will see the Boilermakers play at incredible courses across eight states, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.
• The Boilermakers return to East Lansing, Michigan to defend their title at the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 22-23), hosted by Michigan State. Purdue won last year's tournament by 10 strokes.
• After not appearing on the schedule last year, the Windy City Collegiate Classic is back on the calendar (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). The Boilermakers played in the tournament annually from 2013-22, aside from the 2020 fall season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Rounding out the fall, Purdue leaves the country for the White Sands Bahamas Invitational on Paradise Island in the Bahamas (Oct. 18-20).
• Flipping the calendar to 2025, Purdue travels west to Gold Canyon, Arizona for the Match in the Desert at Superstition Mountain Country Club (Jan. 27). One week later, the Boilermakers serve as hosts of the Puerto Rico Classic at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Feb. 2-4).
• Purdue returns to two more tournaments that were on the schedule last season. The Boilermakers tee it up at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota, Florida (Feb. 16-17) before going back to the Briar's Creek Invitational on Johns Island, South Carolina (March 10-11).
• Ending March and rolling into April, the Boilermakers travel to St. Augustine, Florida for the Coach Mo Classic. Serving as the final tune-up before the conference championship, Purdue welcomes teams back to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Spring Classic. The spring tournament will take place on the other BBGC Pete Dye course, Ackerman-Allen (April 6-7).
• The Big Ten Championships returns to Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore (April 18-20). Last year, the Boilermakers fired an even-par 864 (292-289-283) for their lowest score in the conference tournament since 2016.
• Rounding out the schedule, the Boilermakers plan to hear their names called for postseason play in one of six NCAA Regionals (May 5-7) with sights set on a return trip to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California (May 16-21).

 
NEXT ON THE TEE

• After the season-opening home tournament, Purdue heads north to Minnesota to compete in the prestigious Annika Intercollegiate hosted by golf legend Annika Sorenstam (Sept. 9-11).