Women’s Golf Returns to NCAA Championships

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After defeating No. 19 Texas A&M in a sudden death 5-on-5 playoff at the NCAA Lubbock Regional, Purdue Women's Golf travels to Carlsbad, California to compete for a national championship. The Boilermakers join 29 other teams at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa for the 2025 NCAA Championships (May 16-21), looking to capture their second national title in program history.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, May 16: Round 1 of Stroke Play (Tee Times starting at 9:30 a.m. ET)
Saturday, May 17: Round 2 of Stroke Play (Tee Times starting at 9:30 a.m. ET)
Sunday, May 18: Round 3 of Stroke Play (Tee Times starting at 9:30 a.m. ET)
Field of 30 cut to 15 teams
Monday, May 19: Final Round of Stroke Play (Tee Times starting at 1:30 p.m. ET)
Individual national champion determined, field of 15 cut to 8 teams for Match Play
Tuesday, May 20: Quarterfinals (Tee Times starting at 9:50 a.m. ET)
Tuesday, May 20: Semifinals (Tee Times starting at 4:15 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, May 21: National Championship Match (Tee Times starting at 5:25 p.m. ET)
 
THE LINEUP
Momo Sugiyama – Sr.

• Two-time All-Big Ten honoree (2022-23, 2023-24)
• Ranked No. 161 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and No. 121 in the college golf rankings
• Making her 39th appearance as a Boilermaker, cracking the lineup in every tournament since arriving in West Lafayette
• Holds a 73.06 career stroke average at Purdue, which is currently ahead of the school record (73.08) set by national champion Maria Hernandez (2005-09)
• Has 12 career rounds in the 60s as a Boilermaker, tied with Laura Gonzalez Escallon, Numa Gulyanamitta and Maude-Aimee Leblanc for second in program history
• Last season, led Purdue at the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad (72-76-75—223)
• One of 10 Boilermakers all-time to post multiple rounds of 67-or-better
• Has a team-best 73.46 stroke average this season; also leads the team in rounds of par-or-better (16), team-low round (13) and pars (403), while ranking second in birdies (89) and rounds in the 60s (3)
• Last time out, led the Boilermakers at NCAA Lubbock Regional, tying for fifth (76-72-69—217)
• Finished 12th to pace Purdue at the Big Ten Championships (72-72-73—217)
• Tied for eighth (72-72-77—221) to help Purdue win the Coach Mo Classic
• Tied for fifth at the Briar's Creek Invitational (70-70—140) with the third-best 36-hole score in program history
• 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
• 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, the third most in a single season by a Boilermaker
• 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 44th appearance as a Boilermaker, all in the Purdue lineup and totaling 118 rounds
• Playing in her 11th tournament this season
• Holds a 75.48 stroke average
• Played the first two rounds of last year's NCAA Championships (76-81)
• Carded a season-low 222 (70-79-73) to crack the Top 10 and help Purdue win the Coach Mo Classic; her opening round 70 (-2) was also her best of the year, and her 11 birdies throughout the tournament ranked second in the 90-player field
• Tied for eighth at the Match in the Desert (73), her best finish of the season
• Tied for 24th (75-75-77—227) to help Purdue win the season-opening Boilermaker Classic
• 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
• 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

Natasha Kiel – Sr.

• Ranked No. 70 in the national rankings
• Second Team All-Big Ten, earning all-conference honors for the first time in her career
• Three-time medalist this season (Boilermaker Classic, White Sands Bahamas Invitational, Coach Mo Classic), the fourth Boilermaker in program history to win at least three times in a single season
• Making her 27th appearance as a Boilermaker, but playing in her 39th collegiate tournament
• Named Big Ten Golfer of the Week after leading the team to a victory at the Coach Mo Classic, while also earning medalist honors with a 3-under 213 (68-71-74)
• Leads team in birdies (94) and rounds in the 60s (5), while pacing Purdue in tournaments a team-high five times; ranked second on the team in stroke average (74.09)
• After finishing birdie-birdie in the final round of the NCAA Lubbock Regional, made an eagle to help Purdue beat No. 19 Texas A&M in a playoff to advance to the NCAA Championships
• Has made two hole-in-ones this season (final round of the Boilermaker Classic, opening round of the Coach Mo Classic), both leading to individual victories
• Paced Purdue in four of the team's five fall tournaments, including two victories and a runner-up performance, to earn a spot on the ANNIKA Award Watch List at the end of the fall
• Ended the fall with co-medalist honors at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational, leading the field in par-4 scoring (-3) and recording the fourth-lowest 36-hole total in program history (68-73—141)
• Finished runner-up in a stacked field at the Windy City Collegiate Classic (68-72-73—213) and made 14 birdies over 54 holes
• Medalist of the Boilermaker Classic, her first individual win, while leading Purdue to the team title; fired a career-low 211 (67-76-69) that featured her lowest round 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
• One of four Boilermakers to crack the lineup for all 13 tournaments last year, her first season at Purdue after transferring from Vanderbilt; recorded a 74.29 stroke average to rank third on the team

 
Lauren Timpf – Fr.

• Making her 12th appearance as a Boilermaker and cracking the lineup for the seventh time
• Holds a 75.42 stroke average to lead the team's freshmen
• Played her best golf of the season at the NCAA Lubbock Regional; her 14th-place finish, 54-hole total (73-76-70—219) and final round 70 (-2) were all career bests, and she ranked fourth in the field in par-5 scoring (-5) throughout the week
• Competing as an individual, tied for 24th at the Coach Mo Classic (76-73-78—227)
• Led Purdue at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational by tying for 30th (75-73-73—221)
• Has recorded the team-low round four times throughout the season
• In her first time in the Purdue lineup, tied for 15th at the Mary Fossum Invitational (71-75-74—220), which included leading the Boilermakers in the first two rounds
• 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

 
Samantha Brown – Fr.

• Appearing in the lineup for the 14th time
• Holds a 75.77 stroke average
• Ranks second on the team in pars (395)
• Has recorded a team-high four eagles this season, including a pair of hole-in-ones
• Making her conference tournament debut, carded a career-low 69 (-3) in the second round of the B1G Championships
• Led Purdue at the Boilermaker Spring Classic by tying for 16th (75-72-75—222) on the individual leaderboard and matching her best finish as a Boilermaker
• Helped Purdue win the Coach Mo Classic by tying for 16th (75-73-76—224); made a hole-in-one in the second round
• Made 40 pars at the Mary Fossum Invitational to rank second in the 84-player field
• 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, winning 24 of 48 high school tournaments and finishing 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

 
THE FIELD (Seeding followed by national ranking)
1. #1 Stanford
2. #2 Arkansas
3. #3 South Carolina
4. #4 Florida State
5. #5 Oregon
6. #6 Texas
7. #7 Wake Forest
8. #8 Arizona State
9. #9 USC
10. #10 Virginia
11. #11 Northwestern
12. #12 LSU
13. #13 Ohio State
14. #14 Ole Miss
15. #18 Mississippi State
16. #21 Kansas
17. #22 Florida
18. #23 Michigan State
19. #24 Vanderbilt
20. #25 Oklahoma State
21. Kansas State
22. UCLA
23. Iowa State
24. Tennessee
25. Georgia Southern
26. Oklahoma
27. UNLV
28. Baylor
29. Purdue
30. Cal State Fullerton

THE COURSE

• The 2025 NCAA Championships will take place on the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa for the second of three straight years.
• The North Course, formerly known as the Champions Course, is a par 72 course that will measure 6,330 for the national championships.
• Before hosting the NCAA Championships for the first time in 2024, the North Course underwent a dramatic redesign by renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse.

 
POSTSEASON SUCCESS

• The Boilermakers earned a spot in the NCAA Championships for the 20th time in program history, all since 2000.
• Purdue captured the 2010 national championship with the second-lowest four-round team score in NCAA Championships history, while Maria Hernandez won the individual crown in 2009.
• The Boilermakers reached an NCAA Regional for the 27th time out of the 28 renditions of the NCAA Championships.
• Purdue has advanced to the national championship stage for the third time in the past four seasons. Two of those have been decided by a playoff, beating Northwestern in 2022 at the NCAA Stanford Regional and defeating No. 19 Texas A&M at this year's NCAA Lubbock Regional.
• In the last three instances of advancing to nationals, the Boilermakers outperformed their seeding. Purdue finished fourth as the No. 8 seed at Stanford (2022). The Boilermakers were runners-up at last year's NCAA Las Vegas Regional as the sixth seed, their best regional finish since 2013. This season, Purdue was the No. 7 seed and placed fifth in Lubbock to secure a spot at the national championships.

 
BOILERS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

• Purdue enters the tournament ranked No. 41 in the country.
• Individually, Natasha Kiel (No. 70) and Momo Sugiyama (No. 121) crack the nation's Top 125.
• The Boilermakers lead the nation with five hole-in-one as a team this season.

 
PLAYOFF GOLF

• For the second time in the past four NCAA Regionals, Purdue needed to win a playoff to advance to the NCAA Championships. Just like the 2022 NCAA Stanford Regional, the Boilermakers came through in clutch time to win the playoff and earn a berth to the national stage. After a final round 285 (-3) to jump into the Top 5, Purdue took down No. 19 Texas A&M in a 5-on-5 playoff to book a spot to the national championships.
• Following 54 holes of stroke play, the Boilermakers and Aggies were tied for the fifth at 25-over par to set up the playoff. The two teams went to the par-5 ninth and were split into two fivesomes with all five scores counting to determine a winner. The freshmen went out first, as the duo of Samantha Brown and Lauren Timpf set the tone. Brown made par, while Timpf found herself pin high just off the green in two to get up and down for birdie. Texas A&M's trio made one birdie, one par and one bogey, putting Purdue ahead by one stroke with the final group back in the fairway.
• The senior trio of Jocelyn Bruch, Natasha Kiel and Momo Sugiyama closed out the playoff. With Bruch and Sugiyama short of the green in two, Kiel blasted a 225-yard 3-iron to 12 feet for a chance at eagle. Stepping up to the putt with two Aggies closer for birdie, Kiel drained the clutch eagle to the roar of the Purdue crowd in attendance and on the team's Instagram Live. The Boilermakers improved to 3-under, forcing the Aggies to make their birdie putts to have a chance at pushing the playoff to a second hole. Both Texas A&M golfers missed, and the Aggies finished even par compared to Purdue's 2-under score as a team, booking the Boilermakers a return trip to the national championships for the 20th time in program history, including the third in the past four years.

 
REGULAR SEASON RECAP

• The Boilermakers earned a trip to the postseason after a strong 2024-25 campaign that featured two tournament titles and two runner-up finishes.
• Capturing the Boilermaker Classic and the Coach Mo Classic, Purdue won multiple tournaments in consecutive seasons for the first time since a six-year stretch from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2011.
• The Boilermakers also placed second at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational in the fall before earning runner-up honors at the Briar's Creek Invitational in the spring.
• Natasha Kiel earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors with the help of three individual wins. She was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week (April 3).
• Entering the NCAA Championships, Momo Sugiyama is leading Purdue in stroke average (73.46) for the third straight season.

 
ALL-B1G BOILER

• Continuing the program's tradition of success, Purdue has at least one Boilermaker on the All-Big Ten teams for the 29th consecutive season. Following a vote from the league's coaches, senior Natasha Kiel was named Second Team All-Big Ten to earn all-league honors for the first time in her career.
• Since the conference went to two All-Big Ten teams in 2003, 62 Boilermakers have earned all-league distinction. Purdue has had an All-Big Ten golfer on its team every season since the 1996-97 campaign.
• Kiel's incredible senior season has featured three individual victories, becoming 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).
• She started the season by claiming 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. Kiel was 5-under for the season-opening 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.
• Kiel picked up her second victory of the season, earning co-medalist honors at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational (Oct. 19-20). The senior finished 2-under (68-73—141) alongside Georgia's Chantal El Chaib, leading Purdue to a runner-up finish to close out the fall season. Kiel's two-round score of 141 was the fourth-lowest 36-hole total in program history. She led the field in par-4 scoring (-3), while ranking third in par-5 scoring (-1).
• Her third victory came at the Coach Mo Classic (March 31-April), also leading the Boilermakers to the team title. She fired a 3-under 213 (68-71-74) that featured 11 birdies and a hole-in-one. Kiel also paced 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. The senior earned Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Week honors for her performance.
• Kiel has led the Boilermakers in five different tournaments, including four in the fall that landed her on the ANNIKA Award Watch List. Carding five rounds in the 60s, she is one away from tying a single-season school record.

 
ACES ARE WILD

• While hole-in-ones are normally hard to come by, the Boilermakers have miraculously made five as a team this year to pace the country.
• Samantha Brown and Natasha Kiel lead the way with two apiece. Kiel made her first ace on the par-3 17th in the final round of the Boilermaker Classic at the Kampen-Cosler Course, securing medalist honors and helping Purdue win the first tournament of the season. She added another in the Coach Mo Classic, once again a team victory and individual victory for Kiel.
• Both of Brown's aces have occurred this spring. Her first as a Boilermaker was during the second round of the Coach Mo Classic, helping Purdue capture the team title. She made her second in as many events, finding the bottom of the cup during the Boilermaker Spring Classic on the par-3 17th of the Ackerman-Allen Course.
• Competing as an individual, Lana Malek made a hole-in-one during the Boilermaker Spring Classic. She aced the par-3 13th on Ackerman-Allen.

 
COACH MO CLASSIC CHAMPS

• Led by medalist Natasha Kiel, who earned her third individual victory of the season, Purdue captured the Coach Mo Classic at St. Johns Golf and Country Club (March 31-April 1).
• 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, marked 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 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.
• 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. 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.

 
ANOTHER B1G WOMEN'S GOLFER OF THE WEEK

• Fresh off leading Purdue to a victory at the Coach Mo Classic, senior Natasha Kiel was named Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Week (April 3).
• Kiel became the second Boilermaker to collect the weekly accolade this season, joining Jasmine Kahler, who was the conference's golfer of the week after her performance at the Briar's Creek Invitational (March 9-11). The pair of Boilermakers gave Purdue multiple Big Ten Golfers of the Week in a single season for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
• Along with helping the team capture its second win of the year, Kiel secured medalist honors for the third time this season. She finished 3-under through 54 holes at St. John's Golf and Country Club, one stroke ahead of Western Kentucky's Sydney Hackett.
• The senior 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 three rounds ranked second in the field to go along with her opening round hole-in-one that proved to be the difference.

 
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.

 
WINNING WITH BYRD

• With the win at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic as well as the Coach Mo Classic, Purdue has now won five tournaments under head coach Zack Byrd, who is in only his third season as head coach.
• A victory at the Coach Mo Classic gave the Boilermakers multiple tournament wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since a six-year stretch from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2011.
• Purdue has also claimed victories at the 2023 Boilermaker Classic, the 2023 Tulane Classic and the 2023 Mary Fossum Invitational with Byrd at the helm.
• The five 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.