GLENDALE, Calif. – Competing in the Big Ten Championships for the first time, freshman Luana Valero fired a career-low 67 (-3) to lead Purdue Women’s Golf in the opening round of the conference tournament. Entering the event as the seventh seed, the Boilermakers (+4) sit in a tie for fourth with 36 holes left to play at Oakmont Country Club.
No. 2 USC (-3) leads the tournament, while Purdue is only two shots back of second place, shared by Illinois and Ohio State at 2-over.
Valero’s 67 was the second-best round ever by a Boilermaker in the conference tournament, just one stroke behind Maria Hernandez’s 66 at the 2008 B1G Championships. The Medellin, Colombia, native used six birdies to jump up to second on the individual leaderboard. After an opening bogey, she got the shot back with a birdie at the second. Despite a bogey at the par-3 third, the freshman remained undeterred by responding with three straight birdies. Valero made fourth consecutive pars before a deuce at No. 11, the fifth birdie of the day. Her final birdie came at No. 17, and a two-putt par at the 18th wrapped up her best round in the Old Gold and Black.
Samantha Brown added a 1-over 71 by making a team-high 14 pars. The sophomore started the back nine with a birdie, her first of the day. She made another at No. 14 as part of a 10-hole bogey-free stretch. An unfortunate break on No. 17 led to a double bogey and prevented Brown from an under-par round, but she is tied for 16th individually.
Ashley Kim made three birdies, second-most on the team Friday, on her way to a 72 (+2). Lauren Timpf also contributed to the team’s score with a 74 (+4).
Purdue is within striking distance and looks to move up the leaderboard during Saturday’s second round. The Boilermakers will be paired with Penn State (+4) and Michigan State (+5), teeing off the first hole beginning at 12:20 p.m. ET (9:20 a.m. PT).
For updates throughout the rest of the tournament, follow Purdue Women's Golf on X and Instagram @PurdueWGolf.
BOILERMAKERS
2. Luana Valero: 67 (-3)
T-16. Samantha Brown: 71 (+1)
T-22. Ashley Kim: 72 (+2)
T-42. Lauren Timpf: 74 (+4)
T-83: Ida Lindqvist: 81 (+11)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. #2 USC: 276 (-4)
T-2. Illinois: 282 (+2)
T-2. Ohio State: 282 (+2)
T-4. Purdue: 284 (+4)
T-4. Penn State: 284 (+4)
6. Michigan State: 285 (+5)
7. #6 Oregon: 289 (+9)
8. Northwestern: 290 (+10)
9. Indiana: 292 (+12)
T-10. Iowa: 295 (+15)
T-10. Washington: 295 (+15)
12. Michigan: 296 (+16)
13. #14 UCLA: 297 (+17)
14. Maryland: 305 (+25)
15. Minnesota: 307 (+27)
16. Rutgers: 308 (+28)
17. Nebraska: 312 (+32)
18. Wisconsin: 317 (+37)