Women’s Golf Looks to Defend Title at Mary Fossum Invitational

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Women's Golf looks to make their second title defense of the season by returning to East Lansing, Michigan for the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 22-23), hosted by Michigan State. The Boilermakers won last year's tournament by 10 strokes and have their sights set on claiming their fifth tournament title under third-year head coach Zack Byrd.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Sunday, Sept. 22: Rounds 1 and 2 (9 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
Monday, Sept. 23: Round 3 (8:30 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
 
THE LINEUP
Momo Sugiyama – Sr.

• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree in both seasons as a Boilermaker
• Ranked No. 165 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
• Making her 28th appearance as a Boilermaker, cracking the lineup in every tournament since arriving in West Lafayette
• Holds a 72.84 career stroke average at Purdue, which is on pace to set a new school record
• Has a 72.50 stroke average and has recorded the team's lowest round three out of six times this season (team high)
• Led the Boilermakers at the prestigious ANNIKA Intercollegiate, tying for 23rd (73-75-71—219)
• Tied for fourth (69-74-73—216) to help Purdue win the season-opening Boilermaker Classic, matching her best finish for the Old Gold and Black
• Tied for 19th (72-79-70—221) at last season's Mary Fossum Invitational to help the Boilermakers claim the tournament title
• 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)
• 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

 
Natasha Kiel – Sr.

• Making her 16th appearance as a Boilermaker, but playing in her 28th collegiate tournament
• Leads the team in stroke average (72.00), birdies (22) and rounds in the 60s (2)
• Medalist of the Boilermaker Classic, her first individual win, while leading Purdue to the team title
• In the season-opening win, fired a career-low 211 (67-76-69) that featured her two lowest rounds as a Boilermaker as well as a hole-in-one in the final round
• Led the Boilermaker Classic field in birdies (13) and par-3 scoring (-4), including playing the par 3s 4-under during the final round
• 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
• 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
• Transferred to Purdue after two seasons at Vanderbilt

 
Samantha Brown – Fr.

• Appearing in the lineup for the third time
• Her 74.50 stroke average ranks third on the team
• Tied for 30th at the prestigious ANNIKA Intercollegiate with a career-low 221 (78-71-72) that featured her first under-par round as a Boilermaker
• In her collegiate debut, tied for 21st (75-75-76—226) to help Purdue win the Boilermaker Classic
• 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

 
Jocelyn Bruch – Sr. (Competing as an Individual)

• Making her team-high 36th appearance as a Boilermaker
• Holds a 75.17 stroke average this season
• Tied for 24th (75-75-77—227) to help Purdue win the season-opening Boilermaker Classic
• 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)
• Ended last season 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
• Earned a 2024 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten; graduated last spring

 
Lauren Timpf – Fr.

• Making her second appearance as a Boilermaker but cracking the lineup for the first time in her career
• Tied for 21st at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic (76-74-76—226), competing as an individual
• 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

 
Jade Gu – Sr. (Competing as an individual)

• Appearing in her 18th tournament as a Boilermaker
• Tied for 16th at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic (78-74-73—225), competing 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

 
THE FIELD
Delaware
Florida
FIU
Grand Valley State
Kennesaw State
Kent State
Michigan
Michigan State (Host)
Minnesota
Northern Illinois
Notre Dame
Oakland
Ole Miss
Purdue
Toledo
 
THE COURSE

• Forest Akers Golf Course, on Michigan State's campus, has two 18-hole courses. The Mary Fossum Invitational will take place on the West Course, a par 72 measuring 6,370 yards.
• The golf courses were redesigned by Arthur Hills in 1992.
• The West Course hosted an NCAA Regional in 2021 and 2024.

 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY

• Entering the 38th Mary Fossum Invitational, the Boilermakers are no stranger to the event.
• Purdue has won the tournament twice, first capturing the 2012 Mary Fossum Invite with an 875 (+11) that tied the tournament record at the time. Purdue posted a seven-stroke victory over hosts Michigan State with all five Boilermakers cracking the Top 25 of the individual leaderboard. Paula Reto and Margaux Vanmol paced the Boilermakers by tying for fourth (+3).
• The Boilermakers won last season's event with an 858 (-6), overcoming an eight-stroke deficit. Four Boilermakers finished in the Top 10 led by runner-up Ashley Kozlowski.

 
DEFENDING CHAMPS

• Entering the final round eight shots back of host Michigan State, Purdue flipped the script and fired a final round 284 (-4) to win the 2023 Mary Fossum Invitational by 10 strokes.
• Purdue was 6-under (290-284-284—858) on the par 72 West Course at Forest Akers GC, the only team to finish under par and just one shot off the tournament record. The Boilermakers defeated a field of 14 other teams that included five Big Ten programs. The three-round total also cracked the Top 10 for one of the lowest 54-hole scores in program history.
• The Boilermakers played the par 4s a combined 5-over to lead all teams, including 16 shots better than Michigan State. Purdue also paced the field in par-3 scoring (-2) and birdies (47).
• Four Boilermakers finished in the Top 10 of the individual leaderboard. Ashley Kozlowski led the way, ending the tournament at 2-under to place runner-up for the second time in her career. Kan Bunnabodee tied for fourth at even par (72-71-73—216) and led the entire field in birdies (13) and par-3 scoring (-2). Jocelyn Bruch tied for seventh (+1) for her second Top 10 of the 2023-24 campaign. Natasha Kiel placed ninth at 2-over (73-72-73—218).

 
STARTING THE SEASON WITH A W

• Entering the final round of the Boilermaker Classic with a 13-shot cushion, Purdue made sure the lead was never in doubt. A final round 294 (+6), led by a 68 (-4) from medalist Natasha Kiel, allowed the Boilermakers to protect their home course and win their season-opening tournament for second straight season.
• Purdue finished the season opener 15-over par on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, 14 strokes ahead of runners-up Minnesota (+29).
• The Boilermakers controlled the tournament from the start, leading the field in par-3 scoring (+4), par-4 scoring (+28) and pars (178), while ranking second in birdies (35) and par-5 scoring (-4) as a team.

 
KIEL'S STRONG START TO SENIOR SEASON

• Senior Natasha Kiel began her senior season with a bang, earning medalist honors and leading Purdue to a team victory at the Boilermaker Classic (Sept. 2-3).
• Kiel captured her first career individual victory, thanks in large part to a pair of rounds in the 60s for her lowest rounds as a Boilermaker.
• She was 5-under for the tournament, recording her best 54-hole total as a Boilermaker (67-76-68—211).
• The New Hope, Pennsylvania, native also led the field in birdies (13) and par-3 scoring (-4) throughout the event.
• During the final round, she made six birdies and played the par 3s 4-under with two birdies and one par to go along with a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th.

 
WINNING WITH BYRD

• With the win at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic, Purdue captured its fourth tournament title under head coach Zack Byrd, who just began his third season as head coach.
• Along with winning the past two editions of the Boilermaker Classic, Purdue also claimed victories at the 2023 Tulane Classic and the 2023 Mary Fossum Invitational.
• The four victories mark the most by Purdue in a three-year span since winning six from 2012-14.
• Purdue collected just one tournament title in the five seasons prior to Byrd's arrival.

 
NEXT ON THE TEE

• 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.

 
A LOOK AT REST OF 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.
• 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).