WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Women's Golf announced the addition of two Boilermakers on National Signing Day (Nov. 9). Starting the first signing class for head coach Zack Byrd, Jasmine Kahler (Carlsbad, California) and Lana Malek (Hoce, Slovenia) are set to join the team for the 2023-24 season.
"Lauren (Guiao) and I are excited to welcome these two incredible student-athletes to Purdue," said Byrd. "We can't wait to add more to the family soon. Boiler Up!"
Kahler makes her away across the country from Carlsbad, California. She has shined on the west coast, vaulting up to 29th on Junior Golf Scoreboard's national rankings for the class of 2023. During her 2022 season, Kahler produced a 72.5 stroke average that included a 34.8 average for nine-hole matches. Winning the San Diego Section CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) at Torrey Pines and leading her team to a fifth-place finish at the CIF State Championship, Kahler became the 2022 CIF San Diego Player of the Year.
Kahler was a first team all-league honoree all four years of high school, while posting the lowest scoring differential in the CIF San Diego Section back-to-back years as a junior and senior. She helped her team go undefeated in league competition three seasons in a row, and Kahler won the 2021 and 2022 editions of the North County League Tournament.
On the amateur circuit, Kahler captured the 2022 Toyota Junior Cup and the 2020 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship. Over her junior golf career, she recorded six top-five finishes in Toyota Tour Cup Championships to go along with a pair of top-five showings in AJGA tournaments. Kahler finished in the top 10 at the 2022 IMG Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines. She also placed runner-up at the 2021 AJGA All-Star at Stanford, a course where the Boilermakers advanced to the 2022 NCAA Championships this past May.
"We are ecstatic to bring Jasmine into our Boilermaker family," said Byrd. "She has shown the ability to win at a high level and brings a fierce level of competitiveness to our team. Lauren and I can't wait to watch her develop at the college level and help Purdue become one of the top teams in the country."
A native of Hoce, Slovenia, Malek brings her strong golf game to the United States to continue her career with Purdue. A member of the Slovenian National Team, she is one of the best young golfers in Europe. Malek qualified for the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship, while also winning the Hungarian Cup and the Hungarian Junior Open Championship. Her 2022 season included runner-up performances at the Slovenian International Amateur Championship and the Hungarian Amateur Open Championship to go along with a third-place finish at the CJGA World Junior Challenge.
Malek's 2021 campaign featured runner-up showings at championships in Hungary and Slovenia as well as a third-place performance at the Croatian International Girls and Junior Championship. She won the 2020 Austrian U16 International and placed second at the Austrian Junior International. While third on the Slovak Amateur Tour, Malek qualified for the European Ladies Championship. She also represented her country at the European Young Masters and the European Girls Team Championship.
"Lana brings a wealth of international experience to West Lafayette," said Byrd. "As a member of the Slovenian Women's National Team, she has competed against the best college players in the world before she even steps on campus. Lana's competitive nature and comfort playing against the world's best is why we are so excited for her to be a Boilermaker."
"Lauren (Guiao) and I are excited to welcome these two incredible student-athletes to Purdue," said Byrd. "We can't wait to add more to the family soon. Boiler Up!"
Kahler makes her away across the country from Carlsbad, California. She has shined on the west coast, vaulting up to 29th on Junior Golf Scoreboard's national rankings for the class of 2023. During her 2022 season, Kahler produced a 72.5 stroke average that included a 34.8 average for nine-hole matches. Winning the San Diego Section CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) at Torrey Pines and leading her team to a fifth-place finish at the CIF State Championship, Kahler became the 2022 CIF San Diego Player of the Year.
Kahler was a first team all-league honoree all four years of high school, while posting the lowest scoring differential in the CIF San Diego Section back-to-back years as a junior and senior. She helped her team go undefeated in league competition three seasons in a row, and Kahler won the 2021 and 2022 editions of the North County League Tournament.
On the amateur circuit, Kahler captured the 2022 Toyota Junior Cup and the 2020 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship. Over her junior golf career, she recorded six top-five finishes in Toyota Tour Cup Championships to go along with a pair of top-five showings in AJGA tournaments. Kahler finished in the top 10 at the 2022 IMG Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines. She also placed runner-up at the 2021 AJGA All-Star at Stanford, a course where the Boilermakers advanced to the 2022 NCAA Championships this past May.
"We are ecstatic to bring Jasmine into our Boilermaker family," said Byrd. "She has shown the ability to win at a high level and brings a fierce level of competitiveness to our team. Lauren and I can't wait to watch her develop at the college level and help Purdue become one of the top teams in the country."
A native of Hoce, Slovenia, Malek brings her strong golf game to the United States to continue her career with Purdue. A member of the Slovenian National Team, she is one of the best young golfers in Europe. Malek qualified for the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship, while also winning the Hungarian Cup and the Hungarian Junior Open Championship. Her 2022 season included runner-up performances at the Slovenian International Amateur Championship and the Hungarian Amateur Open Championship to go along with a third-place finish at the CJGA World Junior Challenge.
Malek's 2021 campaign featured runner-up showings at championships in Hungary and Slovenia as well as a third-place performance at the Croatian International Girls and Junior Championship. She won the 2020 Austrian U16 International and placed second at the Austrian Junior International. While third on the Slovak Amateur Tour, Malek qualified for the European Ladies Championship. She also represented her country at the European Young Masters and the European Girls Team Championship.
"Lana brings a wealth of international experience to West Lafayette," said Byrd. "As a member of the Slovenian Women's National Team, she has competed against the best college players in the world before she even steps on campus. Lana's competitive nature and comfort playing against the world's best is why we are so excited for her to be a Boilermaker."