WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – On National Signing Day, Purdue Director of Golf Zack Byrd announced that Ida Lindqvist (Sundsvall, Sweden) and Luana Valero (Medellin, Colombia) will join the women's golf program for the 2025-26 season. The newest Boilermakers are two of the best international golfers in the class of 2025.
Throughout program history, Purdue has been known for bringing in top talent from around the world. The tradition continued as Byrd and assistant coach Lauren Guiao went to Colombia and Sweden to sign a dynamic duo. Both Lindqvist and Valero are featured in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), with Valero becoming one of the highest ranked signees in Purdue Women's Golf history. The Golf Channel's Brentley Romine ranked Valero as the No. 17 prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs.
"For this class, Lauren (Guiao) and I focused on recruiting top international talent and building our worldwide recruiting pipelines for 2025 and beyond," said Byrd. "We could not be more excited to have Ida and Luana become Purdue Boilermakers. Both players bring incredibly talented resumés with them to West Lafayette. Boiler Up!"
ABOUT LINDQVIST
BYRD ON LINDQVIST
"Ida brings a wealth of high-level team golf with her to Purdue. Being a two-time high school national champion in Sweden as well as a member of the Swedish Girls National Team were two things that drew us to Ida. Her hard-working personality has led to her success on the course and in the classroom. Ida possesses all of the qualities that our fan base loves to cheer for, so we are excited about Ida joining us here at Purdue."
ABOUT VALERO
BYRD ON VALERO
"Luana's resumé speaks for itself as one of the highest ranked signees in program history. While recruiting Luana, her fierce competitiveness was immediately apparent and fit exactly what we look for when it comes to signing new Boilermakers. Since committing, she has risen over 100 spots in the world while competing at the highest level internationally. We are extremely happy to welcome her to West Lafayette in August."
For the latest news on Purdue Women's Golf, visit PurdueSports.com. Find updates and more by following the program on X (@PurdueWGolf) and Instagram (@PurdueWGolf).
Throughout program history, Purdue has been known for bringing in top talent from around the world. The tradition continued as Byrd and assistant coach Lauren Guiao went to Colombia and Sweden to sign a dynamic duo. Both Lindqvist and Valero are featured in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), with Valero becoming one of the highest ranked signees in Purdue Women's Golf history. The Golf Channel's Brentley Romine ranked Valero as the No. 17 prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs.
"For this class, Lauren (Guiao) and I focused on recruiting top international talent and building our worldwide recruiting pipelines for 2025 and beyond," said Byrd. "We could not be more excited to have Ida and Luana become Purdue Boilermakers. Both players bring incredibly talented resumés with them to West Lafayette. Boiler Up!"
ABOUT LINDQVIST
- Rose as high as No. 803 in the world over the past two years
- Led her school to a pair of national championships (2022, 2023) and a runner-up finish (2024)
- Was a member of the Swedish Girls National Team in 2023, competing internationally throughout Europe
- Recorded a 75.14 stroke average in 2024, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the Swedish Juniortour Elite No. 6 tournament
- Finished runner-up at the 2023 Swedish Golf Team Invitational and the 2023 Swedish Juniortour Elite No. 5 event
- Competed in the 2023 Spanish International Amateur, placing 14th, and finished 17th at the 2023 R&A Girls Amateur Championship
- Won the 2022 Teen Tour Elite No. 2 tournament before earning runner-up honors at the Teen Tour Final
- Posted a 74.15 stroke average in 2022, which included a fourth-place performance at the 2022 Irish Women's Stroke Play Championship
- Won the 2021 Teen Cup Final and recorded a 75.67 stroke average throughout the year
BYRD ON LINDQVIST
"Ida brings a wealth of high-level team golf with her to Purdue. Being a two-time high school national champion in Sweden as well as a member of the Swedish Girls National Team were two things that drew us to Ida. Her hard-working personality has led to her success on the course and in the classroom. Ida possesses all of the qualities that our fan base loves to cheer for, so we are excited about Ida joining us here at Purdue."
ABOUT VALERO
- Ranked No. 241 in the world at the time of her signing (World Amateur Golf Ranking)
- No. 17 ranked prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs, according to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine
- Has won eight tournaments and racked up 29 Top 10 finishes over the past two years
- Won four of the 16 tournaments she competed in during 2024, capturing victories at the South American Championship in Uruguay, the Junior Open in Chile, the Camilo Villegas Cup and the Enrique Santos Cup in Ecuador
- Finished seventh at the 2024 World Junior Girls Championship in Canada, one of nine Top 10s throughout her 2024 campaign
- Recorded a 75.18 stroke average in 2023, collecting four victories throughout the year
- Won the 2023 Colombian National Amateur
- Led her team to the 2023 South American Championship in Bolivia
- Claimed medalist honors at the 2023 Mariajo Uribe Cup as well as the 2023 Open De La Sabana
- Placed 23rd at the 2023 Women's Latin America Amateur
- Also competes in swimming and speed skating
BYRD ON VALERO
"Luana's resumé speaks for itself as one of the highest ranked signees in program history. While recruiting Luana, her fierce competitiveness was immediately apparent and fit exactly what we look for when it comes to signing new Boilermakers. Since committing, she has risen over 100 spots in the world while competing at the highest level internationally. We are extremely happy to welcome her to West Lafayette in August."
For the latest news on Purdue Women's Golf, visit PurdueSports.com. Find updates and more by following the program on X (@PurdueWGolf) and Instagram (@PurdueWGolf).