Luana Valero Named B1G Freshman of the Week
ROSEMONT, Ill. – 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). 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.
The freshman has made an immediate impact for the Boilermakers, cracking the lineup in all five fall tournaments. Valero holds a 74.14 stroke average, on pace to be the fifth-best stroke average by a freshman in school history. She has recorded the team-low round three times throughout the fall, including the second round of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational. Along her team-high three eagles, Valero ranks second in pars (155).
Valero and the Boilermakers return to competition in 2026, serving as hosts for the annual Purdue Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 1-3).
Kim and Valero Pace Purdue on Saturday
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Ashley Kim and Lauren Valero carded 73s (+3) to pace Purdue Women’s Golf in the second round of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel invitational. The Boilermakers struggled on Saturday, carding a 302 (+22) to slip to 10th (+24) on the leaderboard heading into the final round.
Kim made a team-high three birdies throughout the round. She started her back nine with a birdie at the 10th, and even though she made a bogey on No. 16, she got the stroke back by making a birdie on the final hole of the day. The junior fired a 1-under 35 on the back nine, hoping to carry some momentum into tomorrow.
One day after recording her lowest round as a Boilermaker with a 71, Valero matched Kim with a 73 of her own. Her round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 16th, her team-leading third eagle of the season. Kim and Valero are tied for 22nd on the individual leaderboard at 4-over after two rounds.
The Boilermakers have 18 holes left in the fall slate, looking to finish strong heading into the spring. Purdue will start on the back nine beginning at 8:55 a.m. ET Sunday morning, paired alongside Louisville (+27) and UNCW (+31).
Purdue Women’s Golf Returns to Windy City Collegiate Classic
Luana Valero – Fr.
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Ranks fourth on the team with a 74.88 stroke average
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Has made two eagles this season, ranking second on the team
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Last time out, 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
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Tied for 28th (73-80-72—225) at the Boilermaker Classic, her collegiate debut
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In the final round of the Boilermaker Classic, eagled the par-4 seventh
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Rose to No. 166 in the world in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and entered Purdue ranked No. 187
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17 ranked prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs, according to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine
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Won nine tournaments and racked up 32 Top 10 finishes over three years entering her Purdue career
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Defended her title at the 2025 Camilo Villegas Cup
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – On National Signing Day, Purdue Director of Golf Zack Byrd announced that Ida Lindqvist (Sundsvall, Sweden) and Luana Valero (Medellin, Colombia) will join the women's golf program for the 2025-26 season. The newest Boilermakers are two of the best international golfers in the class of 2025.
Throughout program history, Purdue has been known for bringing in top talent from around the world. The tradition continued as Byrd and assistant coach Lauren Guiao went to Colombia and Sweden to sign a dynamic duo. Both Lindqvist and Valero are featured in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), with Valero becoming one of the highest ranked signees in Purdue Women's Golf history. The Golf Channel's Brentley Romine ranked Valero as the No. 17 prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs.
"For this class, Lauren (Guiao) and I focused on recruiting top international talent and building our worldwide recruiting pipelines for 2025 and beyond," said Byrd. "We could not be more excited to have Ida and Luana become Purdue Boilermakers. Both players bring incredibly talented resumés with them to West Lafayette. Boiler Up!"
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Ranked No. 241 in the world at the time of her signing (World Amateur Golf Ranking)
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No. 17 ranked prospect in the world, including No. 3 among players signed by Big Ten programs, according to Golf Channel's Brentley Romine
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Has won eight tournaments and racked up 29 Top 10 finishes over the past two years
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Won four of the 16 tournaments she competed in during 2024, capturing victories at the South American Championship in Uruguay, the Junior Open in Chile, the Camilo Villegas Cup and the Enrique Santos Cup in Ecuador
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Finished seventh at the 2024 World Junior Girls Championship in Canada, one of nine Top 10s throughout her 2024 campaign
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Recorded a 75.18 stroke average in 2023, collecting four victories throughout the year
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Won the 2023 Colombian National Amateur
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Led her team to the 2023 South American Championship in Bolivia
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Claimed medalist honors at the 2023 Mariajo Uribe Cup as well as the 2023 Open De La Sabana
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Placed 23rd at the 2023 Women's Latin America Amateur
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Also competes in swimming and speed skating
BYRD ON VALERO
"Luana's resumé speaks for itself as one of the highest ranked signees in program history. While recruiting Luana, her fierce competitiveness was immediately apparent and fit exactly what we look for when it comes to signing new Boilermakers. Since committing, she has risen over 100 spots in the world while competing at the highest level internationally. We are extremely happy to welcome her to West Lafayette in August."
Signing Day: Ranking the Class of 2025’s top players, classes
Published November 13, 2024 07:01 AM​​
The Class of 2025’s early signing period for men’s and women’s golf begins on Wednesday – and things will be a little different.
Looming roster limits will have some recruits not signing and instead scrambling for new homes while the national letter of intent has been replaced by grant-and-aid agreements that give more flexibility to the student-athletes.
It could be an early signing period full of surprises.
On the men’s side, Vanderbilt is bringing in a trio of top-25 talents, including No. 2 Michael Riebe and No. 6 Will Hartman, who at one point was arguably considered best in class. Auburn also has a deep class led by top-ranked recruit Logan Reilly. Henry Guan reclassified and will sign with Oklahoma State while Joshua Bai will enroll at Florida in January. Chase Kyes switched from Alabama to Tennessee just last month, a shocker to those in Tuscaloosa, while Sweden’s Simon Hovdal could be Texas Tech’s next international star.
Duke edged out Texas A&M for the best women’s class, as the Blue Devils plan to sign Rianne Malixi, the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, and Avery McCrery, who won this year’s Girls Junior PGA. Both are top-5 signings. The Aggies, though, probably have the deepest, with three of their four signings ranked in the top 13, including No. 3 Scarlet Schremmer, who had been committed to Miami, then Texas, before settling on Texas A&M. It’s always more international heavy on the women’s side, and Thailand’s Eila Galitsky (South Carolina) and Australia’s Sarah Hammett (USC) join Malixi in the top four. Galitsky is rumored to be joining the Gamecocks this spring while Hammett draws comparisons to a former Trojan from that part of the world, New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey.
Women
TOP 30 PLAYERS
1. Rianne Malixi, Duke
2. Eila Galitsky, South Carolina
3. Scarlet Schremmer, Texas A&M
4. Sarah Hammett, USC
5. Avery McCrery, Duke
6. Elizabeth Rudisill, Vanderbilt
7. Arianna Lau, Northwestern
8. Sophie Han, Oregon
9. Madison Messimer, Tennessee
10. Natalie Yen, Texas A&M
11. Pimpisa Rubrong, Arizona State
12. Chloe Kovelesky, Wake Forest
13. Brynn Kort, Texas A&M
14. Ryleigh Knaub, LSU
15. Thanana Kotchasanamanee, Princeton
16. Matilda Bjorkman, Ole Miss
17. Luana Valero Moyano, Purdue
18. Athena Yoo, UCLA
19. Kacey Ly, UCLA
20. Kathryn Ha, Vanderbilt
21. Thapasit Thitikarn, Tennessee
22. Anna Song, Stanford
23. Maye Huang, UCLA
24. Yu-Chu Chen, Oklahoma State
25. Kristina Xu, Columbia
26. Camila Zignaigo, Cal
27. Mingyu Zhang, Michigan
28. Katelyn Huber, Florida
29. Swetha Sathish, Arkansas
30. Yuuki Takada, Virginia