CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Led by a career-low 69 (-1) from sophomore Samantha Brown, Purdue Women’s Golf fired a season low 282 (+2) in sit in a tie for third with No. 17 Duke after the opening round of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational. Facing a field that features six teams ranked in the Top 25, the Boilermakers played their best golf of the year to begin the fall’s final tournament.
Purdue is seven shots back of NC State (-5), who holds a six-stroke clubhouse lead over No. 16 Auburn (+1). Virginia Tech and No. 21 North Carolina both finished the day 3-over, one shot behind Purdue and Duke. The Boilermakers played better than three other ranked teams in the opening round: No. 7 South Carolina (+7), No. 20 Kentucky (+10) and No. 1 Wake Forest (+16). Purdue’s 282 was the team’s lowest round since a 280 in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Las Vegas Regional.
Brown matched her personal-best round as a Boilermaker, carding a 69 for the third time this season. Nobody in the field made more birdies than the sophomore, as she recorded six on the par-70 Finley Golf Club to find herself only two shots back of the individual leader. After making the turn at even par, thanks to a pair of birdies and two bogeys on the opening nine, she birdied three of the next four holes. Two of those holes were par 3s, and her first round also featured a pair of birdies on the par 5s.
Ashley Kim, Lauren Timpf and Luana Valero carded rounds of 71 (+1) to contribute to the team’s low score. All three Boilermakers made three bogeys throughout their round to go along with two birdies and 13 pars. Alongside Brown, Kim and Valero birdied the par-3 third to help Purdue play the hole 3-under as a team. Valero’s 71 was the lowest round of the year for the freshman Boilermaker.
The Boilermakers look to continue moving towards the top of the leaderboard, starting with Saturday’s second round that begins at 8:30 a.m. ET.
For updates throughout tomorrow’s second round, follow Purdue Women's Golf on Twitter @PurdueWGolf.
BOILERMAKERS
T-4. Samantha Brown: 69 (-1)
T-21. Luana Valero: 71 (+1)
T-21. Ashley Kim: 71 (+1)
T-21. Lauren Timpf: 71 (+1)
T-45. Ella Weber: 74 (+4)
*T-51. Ida Lindqvist: 75 (+5)
*Competing as an individual
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. NC State: 275 (-5)
2. #16 Auburn: 281 (+1)
T-3. Purdue: 282 (+2)
T-3. #17 Duke: 282 (+2)
T-5. Virginia Tech: 283 (+3)
T-5. #21 North Carolina: 283 (+3)
7. #7 South Carolina: 287 (+7)
8. Michigan: 288 (+8)
9. Louisville: 289 (+9)
10. #20 Kentucky: 290 (+10)
11. #1 Wake Forest: 296 (+16)
12. UNCW: 298 (+18)
13. Miami (FL): 304 (+24)
14. FIU: 305 (+25)
15. Rollins: 310 (+30)