ROSEMONT, Ill. – Fresh off leading Purdue Women's Golf to a victory at the Coach Mo Classic, senior Natasha Kiel has been named a Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Week, the league office announced Thursday afternoon. Kiel, earning medalist honors at the Coach Mo Classic for her third individual win of the season, shared the honors with Ohio State's Kary Hollenbaugh and Northwestern's Dianna Lee, who both won their respective tournaments this week as well.
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.
Rising to No. 47 in the national rankings after her performance, Kiel 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 has been Purdue's leader on the course all season long, pacing the team in stroke average (73.15), rounds of par-or-better (11), birdies (79) and rounds in the 60s (5).
Just days away, Kiel and the Boilermakers welcome 15 other teams to the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (April 6-7). Purdue hosts its third tournament of the season, the Boilermaker Spring Classic, in the final prep before the Big Ten Championships. The tournament begins Sunday morning with a 9 a.m. ET shotgun start.
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.
Rising to No. 47 in the national rankings after her performance, Kiel 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 has been Purdue's leader on the course all season long, pacing the team in stroke average (73.15), rounds of par-or-better (11), birdies (79) and rounds in the 60s (5).
Just days away, Kiel and the Boilermakers welcome 15 other teams to the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (April 6-7). Purdue hosts its third tournament of the season, the Boilermaker Spring Classic, in the final prep before the Big Ten Championships. The tournament begins Sunday morning with a 9 a.m. ET shotgun start.