ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Led by medalist Natasha Kiel, who earned her third individual victory of the season, Purdue Women's Golf captured the Coach Mo Classic at St. Johns Golf and Country Club. The Boilermakers (+13) led wire-to-wire all three rounds, besting 15 other teams and claiming a four-shot victory over runner-up Charleston (+17).
The victory, Purdue's second of the year, marks the first time the Boilermakers have won multiple tournaments in consecutive seasons since a six-year stretch from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2011. The Boilermakers also won for the fifth time under Zack Byrd, who is in his third season as head coach.
The Boilermakers paced the field in birdies (38), par-3 scoring (+3) and par-4 scoring (+27) as well as eagles (2) thanks to a pair of aces from Kiel and Samantha Brown on the first day of tournament play.
Following Charleston, Purdue was 16 shots clear of third-place Charlotte (+29). Western Kentucky and Daytona State tied for fourth at 34-over to round out the tournament's Top 5.
Kiel, the No. 50 ranked player in the country, became just the fourth Boilermaker in program history to win three times in a single season, joining Maria Hernandez (6; 2008-09), Paula Reto (4; 2012-13) and Aurora Kan (3; 2013-14). The New Hope, Pennsylvania, native started the season with a victory at the Boilermaker Classic before sharing medalist honors at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational to end the fall.
Kiel (-3) finished one shot ahead of Western Kentucky's Sydney Hackett, moving to 3-under after a clutch birdie at the par-3 17th, the same hole she aced during Monday's first round. Similar to the team, she led the field in par-3 scoring (-3) and par-4 scoring (-1), the only golfer in the 90-player field to play the par 4s under par throughout the tournament. Kiel's 11 birdies over 54 holes ranked second in the field to go along with her opening round hole-in-one.
Momo Sugiyama (+5) tied for eighth to crack the Top 10 for the fourth time this season and the 12th time in her career.
Joining Kiel and Sugiyama in the Top 10 was fellow senior Jocelyn Bruch, who tied for 10th at 6-over. Bruch's 73 (+1) was Purdue's best score in the final round. She made 11 birdies over three rounds to match Kiel and rank second in the field.
Brown (+8) tied for 16th, the best finish for the freshman Boilermaker this year. Classmates Michaela Headlee (+10) and Lauren Timpf (+11) placed 22nd and 24th, respectively, while competing as individuals.
Looking to keep the momentum going from their victory, the Boilermakers return home this weekend. Serving as the final tune-up before the Big Ten Championships, Purdue welcomes teams back to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Spring Classic. The tournament will take place on the Ackerman-Allen course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (April 6-7).
BOILERMAKERS
1. Natasha Kiel: 68-71-74—213 (-3)
T8. Momo Sugiyama: 72-72-77—221 (+5)
T10. Jocelyn Bruch: 70-79-73—222 (+6)
T16. Samantha Brown: 75-73-76—224 (+8)
T65. Jasmine Kahler: 78-76-81—235 (+19)
*T22. Michaela Headlee: 70-80-76—226 (+10)
*T24. Lauren Timpf: 76-73-78—227 (+11)
*Competing as an individual
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Purdue: 285-292-300—877 (+13)
2. Charleston: 295-290-296—881 (+17)
3. Charlotte: 298-302-293—893 (+29)
T4. Dayton State: 301-297-300—898 (+34)
T4. Western Kentucky: 300-302-296—898 (+34)
6. Florida Gulf Coast: 299-304-300—903 (+39)
T7. FIU: 298-308-300—906 (+42)
T7. Minnesota: 302-305-299—906 (+42)
9. St. Thomas: 308-304-295—907 (+43)
10. Furman: 305-308-296—909 (+45)
11. Lipscomb: 309-305-297—911 (+47)
12. North Florida: 307-313-295—915 (+51)
13. UTSA: 306-311-301—918 (+54)
14. Toledo: 308-319-304—931 (+67)
15. Belmont: 306-324-313—943 (+79)
16. Southern Illinois: 320-321-314—955 (+91)
The victory, Purdue's second of the year, marks the first time the Boilermakers have won multiple tournaments in consecutive seasons since a six-year stretch from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2011. The Boilermakers also won for the fifth time under Zack Byrd, who is in his third season as head coach.
The Boilermakers paced the field in birdies (38), par-3 scoring (+3) and par-4 scoring (+27) as well as eagles (2) thanks to a pair of aces from Kiel and Samantha Brown on the first day of tournament play.
Following Charleston, Purdue was 16 shots clear of third-place Charlotte (+29). Western Kentucky and Daytona State tied for fourth at 34-over to round out the tournament's Top 5.
Kiel, the No. 50 ranked player in the country, became just the fourth Boilermaker in program history to win three times in a single season, joining Maria Hernandez (6; 2008-09), Paula Reto (4; 2012-13) and Aurora Kan (3; 2013-14). The New Hope, Pennsylvania, native started the season with a victory at the Boilermaker Classic before sharing medalist honors at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational to end the fall.
Kiel (-3) finished one shot ahead of Western Kentucky's Sydney Hackett, moving to 3-under after a clutch birdie at the par-3 17th, the same hole she aced during Monday's first round. Similar to the team, she led the field in par-3 scoring (-3) and par-4 scoring (-1), the only golfer in the 90-player field to play the par 4s under par throughout the tournament. Kiel's 11 birdies over 54 holes ranked second in the field to go along with her opening round hole-in-one.
Momo Sugiyama (+5) tied for eighth to crack the Top 10 for the fourth time this season and the 12th time in her career.
Joining Kiel and Sugiyama in the Top 10 was fellow senior Jocelyn Bruch, who tied for 10th at 6-over. Bruch's 73 (+1) was Purdue's best score in the final round. She made 11 birdies over three rounds to match Kiel and rank second in the field.
Brown (+8) tied for 16th, the best finish for the freshman Boilermaker this year. Classmates Michaela Headlee (+10) and Lauren Timpf (+11) placed 22nd and 24th, respectively, while competing as individuals.
Looking to keep the momentum going from their victory, the Boilermakers return home this weekend. Serving as the final tune-up before the Big Ten Championships, Purdue welcomes teams back to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Spring Classic. The tournament will take place on the Ackerman-Allen course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (April 6-7).
BOILERMAKERS
1. Natasha Kiel: 68-71-74—213 (-3)
T8. Momo Sugiyama: 72-72-77—221 (+5)
T10. Jocelyn Bruch: 70-79-73—222 (+6)
T16. Samantha Brown: 75-73-76—224 (+8)
T65. Jasmine Kahler: 78-76-81—235 (+19)
*T22. Michaela Headlee: 70-80-76—226 (+10)
*T24. Lauren Timpf: 76-73-78—227 (+11)
*Competing as an individual
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Purdue: 285-292-300—877 (+13)
2. Charleston: 295-290-296—881 (+17)
3. Charlotte: 298-302-293—893 (+29)
T4. Dayton State: 301-297-300—898 (+34)
T4. Western Kentucky: 300-302-296—898 (+34)
6. Florida Gulf Coast: 299-304-300—903 (+39)
T7. FIU: 298-308-300—906 (+42)
T7. Minnesota: 302-305-299—906 (+42)
9. St. Thomas: 308-304-295—907 (+43)
10. Furman: 305-308-296—909 (+45)
11. Lipscomb: 309-305-297—911 (+47)
12. North Florida: 307-313-295—915 (+51)
13. UTSA: 306-311-301—918 (+54)
14. Toledo: 308-319-304—931 (+67)
15. Belmont: 306-324-313—943 (+79)
16. Southern Illinois: 320-321-314—955 (+91)