Boilers Back in Action at Briar’s Creek Invitational

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Inching closer to cracking the Top 25 of the national rankings, Purdue Women's Golf returns to tournament play for the second straight week. The Boilermakers battle 16 other teams at the Briar's Creek Invitational in John Island, South Carolina (March 11-12).
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Monday, March 11: Rounds 1 and 2 (8:30 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
Tuesday, March 12: Round 3 (8:30 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
 
THE LINEUP
Ashley Kozlowski – Sr.

• Playing in her 36th tournament as a Boilermaker, totaling 100 rounds, more than anyone on the current team
• Holds a 72.45 stroke average and is nationally ranked at No. 140
• Has appeared in the lineup in all seven tournaments this season and has led the Boilermakers in three different events, a team high
• Has recorded a team-best 63 birdies
• Last time out, tied for seventh to lead Purdue at The Show (73-70-71—214); led the field in par-4 scoring (-4) and ranked second in birdies (13)
• Paced the Boilermakers with a 208 (72-70-66) at the Schooner Fall Classic, the seventh-best 54-hole total in program history; her final round 66 was a new career low and the fifth-lowest for a Boilermaker
• Led Purdue to a win in the Mary Fossum Invitational, finishing runner-up individually for the second time in her career with a 214 (73-71-70)
• Appeared in 11 of the 12 tournaments a season ago, ranking second on the team with a 73.75 stroke average
• Stars in the classroom as an aeronautical and astronautical engineering major, earning several academic honors: WGCAA All-American Scholar Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten

 
Momo Sugiyama – Jr.

• Making her 20th appearance as a Boilermaker after playing in all 12 tournaments a season ago and all seven tournaments so far this season
• Holds a team-best 72.15 stroke average and is No. 135 in the national rankings
• Has recorded the team-low round seven times this season, more than any other Boilermaker
• Has finished in the Top 20 in all three spring tournaments, most recently placing 13th at The Show (71-74-72—217)
• Her two-round 145 (75-70) at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational was the seventh-best 36-hole total in school history
• Began the spring by leading the Boilermakers at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic, placing eighth with a career-low 211 (67-73-71) that featured a personal-best round of 67 (-5)
• Tied for ninth at the Boilermaker Classic with a 1-under 215 (73-69-73) to help Purdue claim the tournament title to start the season
• 2022-23 Second Team All-Big Ten
• Tied Purdue's single-season record with six rounds in the 60s last year, while leading the team in stroke average (73.31), team-low round (14), rounds in the 60s (6) and pars (410)
• Held a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout the 2022-23 school year, collecting several academic accolades: WGCAA All-American Scholar Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten

 
Natasha Kiel – Jr.

• Making her eighth appearance as a Boilermaker, but playing in her 20th collegiate tournament
• Only Boilermaker with two eagles this season
• Holds a 73.55 stroke average and is 294th in the national rankings
• Has appeared in the lineup in all seven tournaments this season
• Tied for 20th at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational (76-70—146)
• Tied for 29th at the Schooner Fall Classic with a 213 (71-72-70), her best 54-hole total as a Boilermaker
• Ranked second in par-4 scoring (-1) and tied for ninth (73-72-73—218) to help the Boilermakers win the Mary Fossum Invitational
• Transferred to Purdue after two seasons at Vanderbilt
• Last season, played in eight tournaments and produced a 74.4 stroke average

 
Jade Gu – Jr.

• Competing in her 13th tournament as a Boilermaker, playing in the lineup for the second time this season
• Has played in four tournaments throughout this season, including three as an individual
• Last time out, tied for 37th at The Show (73-78-74—225)
• Tied for third at the Saluki Invitational with the help of a final round 69 (73-78-69—220)
• Played in eight tournaments last season, cracking the lineup five times and tallying a 76.54 stroke average
• Was a star in the classroom last year, earning several academic honors: WGCAA All-American Scholar Team, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten

 
Jocelyn Bruch – Sr.

• Making her 28th appearance as a Boilermaker, second most on the team
• Ranked 226th in the nation and holds a 73.25 stroke average
• Has appeared in the lineup in all seven tournaments this season
• Fired a career-low 209 (69-70-70) at the Schooner Fall Classic for the 10th-best three-round total in school history
• Eight of her 20 rounds have been par-or-better, including a team-high three rounds in the 60s
• Paced the field in par-4 scoring (-3) to help the Boilermakers win the Mary Fossum Invitational, tying for seventh on the individual leaderboard for her second career Top 10 (76-70-71—217)
• Cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career, tying for sixth with a 4-under 212 (69-69-74) to help Purdue win the Boilermaker Classic
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten

Jasmine Kahler – Fr. (Competing as an individual)

• Making her fifth collegiate tournament appearance
• Has played in four tournaments throughout this season, all as an individual
• Holds a 75.87 stroke average
• Tied for seventh at the Saluki Invitational (71-73-82—226)
• In her Purdue debut, tied for 22nd as an individual in the Boilermaker Classic (73-72-76—221)
• In high school, won the San Diego Section CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) at Torrey Pines and led her team to a fifth-place finish at the CIF State Championship to become the 2022 CIF San Diego Player of the Year

 
THE FIELD
Boston College
Campbell
College of Charleston (Host)
#10 Florida
Georgetown
Illinois
Maryland
Miami (FL)
Michigan State
Nebraska
NC State
Old Dominion
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers
#17 UCF
Wisconsin
 
THE COURSE

• The Golf Club at Briar's Creek is a par 72 layout that will measure 6,152 yards for the tournament.
• Designed by Rees Jones, the course covers 800 acres of Johns Island, South Carolina.
• The course even features a 50-yard 19th hole but obviously will not be played during the event.

 
RANKED BOILERMAKERS

• Purdue enters the Briar's Creek Invitational ranked 26th in the national rankings after a strong fall that featured a pair of tournament titles.
• Two Boilermakers, Momo Sugiyama (135) and Ashley Kozlowski (140), are ranked in the Top 200 of the national rankings.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Entering the final round of The Show in sixth place, Purdue fired a 2-over 290 to move up the leaderboard and finish tied for fourth alongside No. 23 Pepperdine at 12-over.
• The Boilermakers made a combined 21 birdies during the final round, averaging more than four per golfer and nearly doubling their total for the entire tournament. Purdue's 46 birdies over three rounds ranked second in the field.
• Ashley Kozlowski led the Boilermakers, tying for seventh for her second Top 10 finish of the season. The senior made 13 birdies throughout the tournament, ranking second in the 77-player field and ending the tournament 2-under par (73-70-71—214) following a final round 71 (-1). Kozlowski dominated the par 4s, playing those holes 4-under to lead the field.
• Momo Sugiyama added another Top 20 to her Purdue resume, ending The Show 1-over par (71-74-72—217) to tie for 13th.

 
100 ROUNDS AS A BOILERMAKER

• Ashley Kozlowski reached a milestone completing The Show last week. The senior played her 100th round as a Boilermaker, firing a 1-under par 71 to pace the Boilermakers and secure a Top 10 finish (T-7th) on the individual leaderboard.
• Kozlowski's 100 career rounds are a team high, with 31 of those rounds at par-or-better.
• Her lowest round was a 66 at this year's Schooner Fall Classic, tied for the fifth-best round by a Boilermaker in program history.
• Kozlowski has played in 35 tournaments (and counting) throughout her Purdue career, producing 11 Top 20 finishes and seven Top 10 performances.

 
TOP 20 MOMO

• Since the flip of the calendar to 2024, Momo Sugiyama has been a fixture in the Top 20 of tournaments.
• The junior placed eighth at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic to begin the spring before tying for 16th at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational. She led Purdue in both events.
• Last week, Sugiyama finished 13th at The Show to make it three straight Top 20 performances.
• Sugiyama has cracked the Top 20 in five of Purdue's seven tournaments this season, a team high.

 
FLYING HIGH WITH BYRD

• Victorious in two of their four fall tournaments, the Boilermakers have won multiple tournaments in a season for the first time in seven years.
• Winning the Boilermaker Classic and the Mary Fossum Invitational, Purdue won back-to-back tournaments for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The last time Purdue won its first two tournaments of the season was the start of the 2005-06 campaign.
• Purdue already has three tournament titles in just the second season under head coach Zack Byrd; the Boilermakers won three tournaments over the previous six seasons before Byrd's arrival.
• Eleven of the 50 lowest team rounds in program history have occurred under Byrd, including the school record 270 (-18) at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic as well as the second-best round, a 274 at the Schooner Fall Classic.
• This season, the Boilermakers have produced two of the lowest five team totals (54 holes) in school history, a program-best 837 at the Schooner Fall Classic and an 852 (fifth) at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic.

 
SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON

• 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 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. Jocelyn Bruch tied for seventh (+1) for her second Top 10 of the 2023-24 campaign.

 
HOME COURSE PROTECTED

• Purdue protected its home course, starting the 2023-24 season by beating 14 other teams to win the Boilermaker Classic (Sept. 4-5).
• The Boilermakers finished the 54-hole event 12-under par (296-270-286—852) on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Complex, six shots ahead of runner-up Alabama.
• fired a 270 (-18) in the second round to break the program record for team-low round by five strokes, besting the previous record of 275 shot by the 2011 Boilermakers at the Administaff Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate.
• Jocelyn Bruch cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career. She placed sixth with a 212 (69-69-74).
• Momo Sugiyama finished another tournament in red figures, firing a 215 (-1) with a 69 sandwiched in between rounds of 73. Starting her second season as a Boilermaker, she tied for ninth on the individual leaderboard.

 
NEXT ON THE TEE

• Up next, Purdue closes out a busy month. The Boilermakers return to The Bruzzy Challenge at Dornick Hills Country Club in Oklahoma (March 30-31) for the second straight season, competing in their third tournament during the month of March.