WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Women’s Golf begins the 2026-27 season by welcoming 15 teams to West Lafayette for the annual Boilermaker Classic (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). The 54-hole stroke play tournament will be contested on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. Fans are encouraged to attend, and admission is free.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Monday, Aug. 31: Rounds 1 and 2 (9 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
Tuesday, Sept. 1: Round 3 (9 a.m. ET Shotgun Start)
THE LINEUP (+4 INDIVIDUALS)
Samantha Brown – Jr.
- Playing in her team-leading 28th tournament, holding a career 74.27 stroke average
- Second Team All-Big Ten as a sophomore, ending the season at No. 130 in the national rankings
- Paced Purdue with a 72.69 stroke average, as well as team-low rounds (17), birdies (108) and Top 10 finishes (5)
- Tied the single-season school record with six rounds in the 60s
- Nineteen of her 36 rounds were par-or-better, the third most by a Boilermaker in a single season
- Became Big Ten Golfer of the week after guiding Purdue to a victory at the 2025 Coach Mo Classic; tied for third with a 3-under 213 (75-66-72) for her best finish as a Boilermaker and her lowest 54-hole total
- Two-time WGCA All-American Scholar and 2026 Academic All-Big Ten
Lauren Timpf – Jr.
- Playing in her 26th tournament as a Boilermaker, holding a 74.43 career stroke average
- Ended the 2025-26 season ranked No. 151 in the nation
- Recorded a 73.00 stroke average a season ago, ranking second on the team
- Named to the 2026 Big Ten All-Championships Team after tying for fifth 74-67-72—213); her 67 (-3) in the second round was a career low
- Last season, led Purdue in pars (416), while ranking second in stroke average (73.00), team-low round (13), rounds in the 60s (3) and Top 20 finishes (7)
- Her second-place performance at the Boilermaker Spring Classic (71-70-73—214) was a career best and the best finish by an individual Boilermaker throughout the 2025-26 season; played the par 5s 5-under, ranking third in the 94-player field
- Two-time WGCA All-American Scholar and 2026 Academic All-Big Ten
Ashley Kim – Sr.
- Making her 14th appearance as a Boilermaker
- Cracked the lineup for all 13 tournaments a season ago, recording a 73.89 stroke average to rank third on the team
- Ranked second on the team in birdies (102) and third in Top 20 finishes (6)
- Led Purdue at the 2025 Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, tying for 14th (71-73-71—215)
- Tied for fifth at last year’s Wolverine Invitational with a 216 (75-70-71), which included a second round 70 (-1); ranked third in the field in par-5 scoring (-2)
- Transferred to Purdue after spending two years at Arkansas State and becoming one of the best golfers in program history
- 2026 Academic All-Big Ten
Luana Valero – So.
- Making her 14th appearance after cracking the lineup in all 13 tournaments as a freshman
- 2026 Big Ten All-Freshman and three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week
- Her 74.00 stroke average was the fourth best by a freshman in program history
- Recorded three rounds in the 60s and three Top 10 finishes, ranking third and fifth, respectively, by a freshman in Purdue history
- Guided Purdue to a third-place finish, while placing fourth (personal best) on the individual leaderboard, at the 2026 Big Ten Championships (67-79-74—210) to earn a spot on the all-championships team; paced the B1G field with 12 birdies, while ranking second in par-4 scoring (-1) throughout the week
- Her three-day total of 210 (67-69-74) at the B1G Championships was the second-lowest 54-hole tally by a Boilermaker competing in the conference tournament, as well as the lowest of her career; the opening round 67 (-3) was a personal best
- Led the team with four eagles a season ago
Olivia Hemmila – Sr.
- Making her first appearance as a Boilermaker after spending the past three years at Oakland
- 2026 Horizon League All-League First Team
- Played in all 11 tournaments a season ago, recording a 76.58 stroke average
- Led Oakland to its third straight Horizon League Championships, tying for fourth individually (75-74-82—231) and earning a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team
- Claimed medalist honors and led the team to victory at the NKU Julie Invitational (70-74-77—221); named Horizon League Golfer of the Week
- Fired a 3-under 68 in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Ann Arbor Regional
- 2026 WGCA All-American Scholar and Horizon League All-Academic Team
Ariana Urrea – Fr. (Competing as an individual)
- Playing in her first collegiate tournament
- Entered her collegiate career ranked No. 388 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR)
- Has won four tournaments since 2024 as part of 12 Top 10 finishes
- Represented her country and competed on the Peruvian National Team since 2021, leading her country to a victory at the 2025 Junior Pan-American Games by finishing runner-up on the individual leaderboard; also led Peru to victory at the 2024 South American U-18 and the 2022 South American U-15
- Two-time Optimist Junior Golf Championship runner-up (2021, 2025)
- Qualified for the 2026 U.S. Girls’ Junior
- As a senior at Windermere Preparatory School in Windermere, Florida, led the team to a district title as the tournament’s medalist; cracked the Top 10 individually at the state championship, helping her team to a third-place finish
Ida Lindqvist – So. (Competing as an individual)
- Making her 10th appearance after playing in nine tournaments as a freshman
- Recorded a 76.17 stroke average a season ago
- Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after setting the school record for lowest 36-hole total by a freshman; competing as an individual, tied for 16th at the Briar’s Creek Invitational at even-par (70-74—144)
- While a freshman record, her two-day total at Briar’s Creek tied for the 10th-lowest individual 36-hole score in school history; only player in the field to make two eagles throughout the tournament, making back-to-back eagles in the opening round
- Tied for 12th at the 2026 Boilermaker Spring Classic, producing the lowest 54-hole total (74-72-76—222) and best finish of her career as well as cracking the Top 15 for the first time
- Ranked second in the Windy City Collegiate Classic field in par-3 scoring (-2) with the help of birdies on three of the four par 3s in the final round; began the tournament with a 1-under 71
- 2026 WGCA All-American Scholar
Michaela Headlee – Jr. (Competing as an individual)
- Playing in her 17th tournament as a Boilermaker
- Recorded a 76.19 stroke average a season ago, appearing in 10 tournaments that included five in the lineup
- Placed ninth at the Boilermaker Spring Classic with a career-low 218 (73-72-73) for her first career Top 10 performance; played the par 5s 5-under to rank third in the field, while ranking fourth in the field with 10 birdies throughout the tournament
- Competing as an individual, fired a season-low 72 (E) in the final round of the 2026 Coach Mo Classic
- Competed as an individual at the 2026 Purdue Puerto Rico Classic and carded a 6-over 222 (76-73-73)
- Featuring in the lineup for the first time in her career, tied for 42nd (75-79-74—228) at the 2025 Boilermaker Classic
- 2026 Academic All-Big Ten
Ella Weber – Sr. (Competing as an individual)
- Playing in her 12th tournament as a Boilermaker
- Made 11 appearances, including five in the lineup, during her first season at Purdue after transferring from Michigan State
- Posted a 76.67 stroke average last season
- Recorded three eagles, including a pair on par 4s, to rank second on the team
- Competing as an individual, tied for 11th in the Shootout at Wachesaw (74-73—147), her best finish as a Boilermaker
- Carded a career-low 219 (72-72-75) at the 2026 Purdue Puerto Rico Classic
- 2026 Academic All-Big Ten
THE FIELD
Abilene Christian
Ball State
Georgia Southern
Indiana
Iowa
Kent State
Little Rock
Louisville
Miami (FL)
Mississippi State
Missouri State
North Florida
Ole Miss
Purdue
Rutgers
Western Kentucky
THE COURSE
- Two championship 18-hole courses make up the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, both designed by legendary golf course architect Pete Dye.
- The Boilermaker Classic will be contested on the Kampen-Cosler Course, a links-style par 72 that will play at 6,342 yards.
- Kampen-Cosler is rated one of the top collegiate courses in the nation and has been awarded 4.5 stars on Golf Digest’s “Places to Play.” Kampen-Cosler is ranked as one of the most difficult golf courses in Indiana.
- The course has hosted a number of prestigious collegiate and public tournaments, including the 2003 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, the 2005 Women’s Western Amateur and the 2025 Junior PGA Championships.
HISTORY AT HOME
- The Boilermakers will be hosting a tournament on one of their home courses for the seventh time since 2019.
- The Boilermaker Classic returned to the schedule in 2023, as Purdue captured the season-opening tournament on the Kampen-Cosler Course before defending the title to start the 2024-25 season.
- The Boilermaker Spring Classic was held on the Ackerman-Allan Course the past two springs and in 2019. In the 2019 Boilermaker Classic, assistant coach Lauren Guiao placed fifth on the individual leaderboard with rounds of 73 (+1) and 72 (E).
LAST YEAR’S TOURNAMENT
- At last year’s season-opening Boilermaker Classic, Purdue (+14) placed fourth as Ole Miss (-2) claimed the team title.
- The Boilermakers led the field in pars (175) and ranked second in par-4 scoring (+12).
- Samantha Brown fired a career-low 69 to vault up the leaderboard and finish ninth to lead Purdue. The sophomore played the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex’s Kampen-Cosler Course even par (75-72-69—216) through three rounds to record her first Top 10 performance for the Old Gold and Black. She found most of her success on the par 5s, playing the holes 4-under throughout the tournament to rank third in the field.
- Lauren Timpf finished 3-over (69-76-74—219) to tie for 15th. Her tournament was highlighted by an opening round 69 (-3). Throughout the two days, Timpf played the par 3s 2-under par to rank third in the field.
- Ashley Kim (+5) and Luana Valero (+9) placed 18th and 28th, respectively, on the individual leaderboard in their first tournament as Boilermakers.
THE SQUAD
- Purdue returns a veteran squad for the 2026-27 campaign. Seven Boilermakers played in at least nine tournaments a season ago, including four that competed in all 13 events.
- The returning cast includes All-Big Ten golfer Samantha Brown, who tied a school record with six rounds in the 60s last year, as well as a pair of Big Ten All-Championships Team honorees in Lauren Timpf and Luana Valero.
- Valero was also Big Ten All-Freshman after one of the best freshman seasons in program history.
- Two newcomers join the team in senior Olivia Hemmila and freshman Ariana Urrea. Hemmila made the move to West Lafayette after three seasons at Oakland where she earned All-Horizon League First Team honors. Urrea is the lone freshman Boilermaker, playing high school golf in Florida and hailing from Peru.
WINNING WITH BYRD AND GUIAO
- Purdue Women’s Golf begins its fifth season under the leadership of head coach Zack Byrd and assistant coach Lauren Guiao. Over the past four years, the dynamic duo has brought the winning tradition back to West Lafayette.
- Purdue has won six tournaments under Byrd and Guiao, the most in a four-year span since winning six from 2011-14. The Boilermakers have won at least one tournament in four straight seasons for the first time since a streak of nine consecutive years from 2006-14.
- The Boilermakers defended their title at the 2026 Coach Mo Classic, the 17th tournament that the program has won multiple times.
- 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 Boilers collected just one tournament title in the five seasons prior to Byrd's arrival.
2025-26 RECAP
- The Boilermakers earned a trip to the postseason for the 11th straight season after a strong 2025-26 campaign.
- Winning the Coach Mo Classic for the second straight year marked the sixth victory under Zack Byrd and assistant coach Lauren Guiao, the most in a four-year span since winning 10 from 2011-14.
- Purdue placed third at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, the program’s best performance at the conference tournament since 2019. Entering the tournament as the seventh seed, the Boilermakers played some of their best golf of the season and recorded their second-lowest 54-hole total ever at the B1G Championships (284-283-296—863).
- Continuing the program's tradition of success, Purdue had at least one Boilermaker on the All-Big Ten teams for the 30th consecutive season. Following a vote from the league’s coaches, sophomore Samantha Brown was named Second Team All-Big Ten to earn all-league honors for the first time in her career, while Luana Valero earned a spot on the conference’s inaugural all-freshman team.
- Three Boilermakers cracked the lineup in all 13 tournaments: Valero, Lauren Timpf and Ashley Kim.
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
- After the season-opening home tournament, Purdue heads to Tennessee to compete in the Mason Rudolph Championship just outside of Nashville (Sept. 18-20). One weeks later, the Boilermakers travel north for the Fighting Irish Classic in South Bend, Indiana (Sept. 26-27).
- Kicking off the month of October, Purdue returns to the Windy City Collegiate Classic (Oct. 5-6) as three-time tournament champions (2008, 2009, 2010). The Boilermakers conclude the fall by going to Texas for the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate (Oct. 19-21), which will be broadcast live on Golf Channel.
- Flipping the calendar to 2027, the Boilermakers serve as hosts of the Golf Reservation Center Dominican Republic Classic in Punta Cana (Jan. 31-Feb. 2). The tournament replaces the annual Purdue Puerto Rico Classic, as the Boilermakers welcome teams to Cocotal Country Club for the international event.
- Purdue returns to two more tournaments that were on the schedule the past three seasons, both in the state of Florida. The Boilermakers tee it up at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota (Feb. 14-15) and the Coach Mo Classic in St. Augustine (March 29-30) as the reigning two-time defending champions. Nestled in between the two events is the Puerto Vallarta Invitational in Mexico (March 19-21).
- Serving as the final tune-up before the conference championship, Purdue returns to West Lafayette for the Boilermaker Spring Classic. The spring tournament will take place on the other BBGC Pete Dye course, Ackerman-Allen (April 11-12).
- After venturing more than 2,000 miles west for last year’s conference tournament, Purdue travels east for the 2026 Big Ten Championships at the prestigious Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania (April 23-25). Last year, the Boilermakers placed third at B1G Championships for their best conference finish since 2019.
- Rounding out the schedule, the Boilermakers plan to hear their names called for postseason play in one of six NCAA Regionals (May 10-12) with sights set on a return to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California (May 21-26).