WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Continuing a tradition that has spanned more than two decades, Purdue Women’s Golf returns to Puerto Rico to host a tournament for the 21st time on the island. The Boilermakers welcome 17 teams, including five Top 25 opponents, to Rio Grande for the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic at Grand Reserve Golf Club (Feb. 1-3).
With heavy rain projected in the forecast on Monday and Tuesday, rather than playing 18 holes per day, the schedule has been adjusted to 36 holes on Sunday before trying to squeeze in the third round over the final two days.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Sunday, Feb. 1: Rounds 1 & 2 (6:30 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
Monday, Feb. 2: Final Round (7:30 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
Tuesday, Feb. 3: Conclusion of Final Round (if necessary)
THE LINEUP (+2 INDIVIDUALS)
Lauren Timpf – So.
- Ranked No. 120 in the nation
- Leads Purdue in stroke average (72.64), pars (162) and team-low rounds (5)
- Making her 18th appearance as a Boilermaker, including the 13th in the Purdue lineup
- Led Purdue at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational with the ninth-best 36-hole total in program history (71-73—144); tied for 13th on the individual leaderboard and ranked third in par-4 scoring (-1)
- Played her best golf as a Boilermaker with a career-low 211 (70-69-72) to place third at the Wolverine Invitational
- Led the Wolverine Invitational field in birdies (12) and par-5 scoring (-3), while ranking third in par-4 scoring (-2)
- Tied for 15th at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic with a 219 (69-76-74); her opening round 69 (-3) was also her best as a Boilermaker
- Ranked third in the Boilermaker Classic field in par-3 scoring (-2)
- Produced a 75.94 stroke average a season ago
- Played her best golf of last season at the NCAA Lubbock Regional; her 14th-place finish, 54-hole total (73-76-70—219) and final round 70 (-2) were all season bests, and she ranked fourth in the field in par-5 scoring (-5) throughout the week
- 2025 WGCA All-American Scholar
Luana Valero – Fr.
- Has been in the lineup in all five tournaments
- Ranks fourth on the team with a 74.14 stroke average
- Has made three eagles this season, tied for the team lead
- Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week to close out the fall, carding a career-low 218 (71-73-74) at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational
- Fired a 221 (72-74-75) at the Windy City Collegiate Classic
- Tied for 23rd at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational (74-73—147), her best finish as a Boilermaker; her 73 (+1) tied for Purdue’s lowest final round
- Tied for 28th (73-80-72—225) at the Boilermaker Classic, her collegiate debut
- In the final round of the Boilermaker Classic, eagled the par-4 seventh
- Placed third at the 2025 Women’s Amateur Latin America
- Rose to No. 166 in the world in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and entered Purdue ranked No. 187
- 17 ranked prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs, according to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine
- Won nine tournaments and racked up 32 Top 10 finishes over three years entering her Purdue career
Ella Weber – Jr.
- Playing in her sixth tournament as a Boilermaker, including the third in the lineup
- Has recorded a team-high three eagles, including a pair on par 4s
- Holds a 77.93 stroke average
- Returning to her home country and making her first appearance in the Purdue lineup, tied for 59th at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational (84-77—161)
- Tied for 25th at the Wolverine Invitational (79-75-69—233); her final round 69 (-2) was her best round as a Boilermaker
- Competing as an individual at the Boilermaker Classic, fired a final round 71 (-1) and tied for 61st (81-83-71—235)
- Transferred to Purdue after spending the past two seasons at Michigan State
- Qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Am at Bandon Dunes
- Tied for 11th at the 2025 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and placed 16th at the Glencoe Invitational, a pair of Canadian pro events
Ashley Kim – Jr.
- Ranked No. 168 in the nation
- Has been in the lineup in all five tournaments
- Holds a 73.00 stroke average and leads the team in birdies (43)
- Last time out, led Purdue at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, tying for 14th (71-73-71—215)
- Placed 25th (+2) at the Windy City Collegiate Classic and fired a final round 71 (-1) for her lowest round as a Boilermaker
- Tied for fifth at the Wolverine Invitational with a 216 (75-70-71), which included a final round 71 (E); ranked third in the field in par-5 scoring (-2)
- In her Purdue debut, tied for 18th at the Boilermaker Classic (72-73-76—221)
- Transferred to Purdue after spending the past two seasons at Arkansas State and becoming one of the best golfers in program history
- Last season, set Arkansas State’s single-season school record for stroke average (71.70)
- Three-time Sun Belt Conference Golfer of the Week
- Shot par-or-better in 12 of her 20 rounds, the third most in a single season in program history
- Claimed medalist honors and led Arkansas State to a victory at the Maverick Classic by matching the lowest 54-hole total in school history; fired a 12-under 204 (66-68-70), and her 6-under 66 in the opening round was the second-lowest round ever by an ASU golfer
- Made 88 birdies as a freshman at ASU, ranking second in program history
Samantha Brown – So.
- Playing in her team-leading 20th tournament for Purdue, including the 19th time in the lineup
- Seven of her 14 rounds have been par-or-better, including three rounds in the 60s, leading the Boilermakers in both categories
- Holds a 73.57 stroke average, ranking third on the team
- Paced the Boilermakers at the Windy City Collegiate Classic, tying for 18th with an even-par 216 (69-76-71) to match her personal best; ranked fourth in the field in par-5 scoring (-6) throughout the tournament and recorded her third career hole-in-one in the first round
- Started the season by leading Purdue at the Boilermaker Classic, tying for ninth by finishing even par (75-72-69—216) for her first career Top 10 performance; her 54-hole total and final round 69 were career lows
- Played the par 5s 4-under throughout the Boilermaker Classic, ranking third in the field
- As a freshman, cracked the lineup in all 14 tournaments
- Held a 75.76 stroke average a season ago, leading the team’s freshmen
- Led Purdue in eagles (4), including a pair of hole-in-ones, while ranking second on the team in pars (428)
- Making her conference tournament debut, carded a career-low 69 (-3) in the second round of the 2025 B1G Championships
- 2025 WGCA All-American Scholar
Ida Lindqvist – Fr. (Competing as an individual)
- Playing in the fifth tournament of her freshman season
- Holds a 77.00 stroke average
- Ranked second in the Windy City Collegiate Classic field in par-3 scoring (-2); she birdied three of the four par 3s in the final round
- Began the Windy City Collegiate Classic with a career-low 71 (-1)
- At the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, made her first appearance in the lineup and tied for 61st (85-78—163)
- Competing as an individual in her Purdue debut, tied for 51st at the season-opening Boilermaker Classic (74-79-78—231); her tournament included an eagle
- Rose as high as No. 803 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
- Led her school to a pair of national championships (2022, 2023) and a runner-up finish (2024)
- Recorded a 75.14 stroke average in 2024, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the Swedish Juniortour Elite No. 6 tournament
- Was a member of the Swedish Girls National Team in 2023, competing internationally throughout Europe
Michaela Headlee – So. (Competing as an individual)
- Appearing in her third tournament of the season
- Holds a 78.50 stroke average
- Featured in the lineup for the first time in her career, tied for 42nd (75-79-74—228) at the Boilermaker Classic
- Competed in six tournaments as a freshman, all as an individual
- Recorded a 78.47 stroke average during her freshman season
- Tied for 22nd at the Coach Mo Classic (70-80-76—226), which included a career-low 70 in the opening round
- Fired a career-low 225 (73-73-79) to place 28th at the Boilermaker Spring Classic
THE FIELD
#4 Arkansas
Furman
Georgia Southern
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas State
LSU
Minnesota
Michigan State
Michigan
#14 North Carolina
North Florida
North Texas
#20 Northwestern
#15 Ole Miss
Purdue (Host)
UNCW
#10 Vanderbilt
THE COURSE
- The tournament will take place at Grand Reserve Golf Club, a par 72 layout measuring 6,305 yards.
- Grand Reserve Golf Club was designed by PGA Tour legend Tom Kite.
- The course plays host to the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open annually; this year’s tournament will take place one month after the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic (March 5-8).
HISTORY IN PUERTO RICO
- Purdue is no stranger to competing in Puerto Rico, hosting a tournament there every year from 2003-20 before returning to the schedule in 2023 after a brief hiatus.
- This year marks the 21st time Purdue has hosted a tournament in Puerto Rico.
- The Boilermakers won the 2009 tournament, one of five victories throughout the 2008-09 campaign that included a Big Ten Championship.
LAST TIME OUT
- Closing out the fall, Purdue outplayed the top team in the country. The Boilermakers finished one shot ahead of No. 1 Wake Forest, previously undefeated, at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational.
- Facing a field that featured six teams ranked in the Top 25, Purdue (+37) finished in eighth place, two strokes behind No. 20 Kentucky (+35). The top-ranked Demon Deacons (+38) placed ninth, and Michigan (+41) rounded out the Top 10 of the leaderboard.
- Ashley Kim led Purdue throughout the tournament with a 5-over 215 (71-73-71), her best 54-hole total as a Boilermaker. The Arkansas State transfer produced the lowest scores in each of the final two rounds. She tied for 14th among the competitive field, securing her third Top 20 of the fall.
- Luana Valero tied for 26th, finishing 8-over for the tournament. Her 218 (71-73-74) bested her previous career low by three strokes.
FALL RECAP
- The Boilermakers played in five tournaments throughout the fall, recording a pair of Top 5 finishes to go along with three eighth-place performances.
- Samantha Brown, Ashley Kim, Lauren Timpf, Luana Valero and Ella Weber played in all five fall tournaments for Purdue. Kim, Timpf, Valero and Weber cracked the lineup for each tournament, while Brown was in the lineup in four tournaments to go along with an individual appearance.
- Timpf led the way with a 72.64 stroke average, posting Purdue’s lowest round five times throughout the fall. The sophomore finished third at the Wolverine Invitational with a career-low 211 (-2).
- Kim paced Purdue in birdies (43), while ranking second in stroke average (73.00). She earned a Top 5 finish of her own at the Wolverine Invitational.
- Brown recorded a team-high three rounds in the 60s, while Valero and Weber made three eagles apiece to lead the Boilermakers in that category.
- Valero finished her first fall of collegiate golf by becoming Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
- After ending the fall playing her best golf, Purdue’s Luana Valero was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced (Oct. 23, 2025). The Purdue women’s golfer earns her first weekly accolade just five tournaments into her collegiate career.
- Valero carded a career-best 218 (71-73-74) at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational (Oct. 17-19), tying for 26th on the individual leaderboard in a field that featured six Top 25 teams.
- The Medellin, Colombia, native began the tournament with a career-low 71, and in the second round, she made her team-leading third eagle of the season on her way to a 73. With a 74 in the final round, Valero helped Purdue finish one shot ahead of No. 1 Wake Forest, who entered the tournament undefeated.
WINNING WITH BYRD AND GUIAO
- Purdue Women’s Golf is in its fourth season under the leadership of head coach Zack Byrd and assistant coach Lauren Guiao. Over the past three years, the dynamic duo has brought the winning tradition back to West Lafayette.
- Purdue has won five tournaments under Byrd and Guiao, the most in a three-year span since winning six from 2012-14.
- After starting off the 2024-25 season with a win at the Boilermaker Classic, 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 Boilermakers have advanced to nationals in each of the past two seasons. With the men making the NCAA Championships as well, Purdue was the only Big Ten school and one of only seven programs nationally to send both men’s and women’s teams to the national stage the past two years.
- Purdue collected just one tournament title in the five seasons prior to Byrd's arrival.
A LOOK AT THE REST OF THE SPRING
- Purdue returns to two more tournaments that were on the schedule the past two seasons. The Boilermakers tee it up at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota, Florida (Feb. 15-16) and the Briar’s Creek Invitational on Johns Island, South Carolina (March 16-17). Nestled in between the two events is the one-day Shootout at Wachesaw at Murrells Inlet, also in Byrd’s home state of South Carolina (March 9).
- Ending the month of March, the Boilermakers travel to St. Augustine, Florida to defend their title at the Coach Mo Classic (March 30-31). Serving as the final tune-up before the conference championship, Purdue welcomes teams back to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Spring Classic. The spring tournament will take place on the other BBGC Pete Dye course, Ackerman-Allen (April 12-13).
- After venturing to the east coast the past two years to compete for a conference title, Purdue travels more than 2,000 miles for the 2026 Big Ten Championships. The league tournament is set to take place at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California (April 24-26).
- Rounding out the schedule, the Boilermakers plan to hear their names called for postseason play in one of six NCAA Regionals (May 11-13) with sights set on a third straight trip to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California (May 22-27).