Saturday, April 25
Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
All Day
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
Horizon League Championship
Jim Earle, Lillian Gottman
Photo by: Aaron Johnson
Gottman and 'Dons in Contention After Round One of #HLGolf Championships
4/25/2026 8:42:00 PM | Women's Golf
HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. - Thanks to an opening round of 75 from Lillian Gottman on Saturday (April 25), the Purdue Fort Wayne women's golf team is in third place at the Horizon League Championship, just five shots off the lead and one behind second.
The Mastodons barely got the round in, as a weather delay cut the round in half.
Gottman is tied for second place in the 35-player field. Her 75 featured three birdies, coming on holes seven, nine and 17. After a misstep on 16, Gottman responded with a birdie on 17, the course's self-proclaimed hardest hole. She worked her way around the massive tree in the middle of the fairway and across the creek for a birdie.
Natalie Papa turned in a 77, rebounding from a 4-over front nine with an even back nine. She birdied hole 14, a 477-yard par-5 that hugs an alligator pond on the right side. Papa is in a tie for ninth place with 36 to go.
Hunar Mittal and Emily Gottman are tied for 18th after both shooting 81. Mittal shot 41 on the front, finding her footing for four pars in the last four of the side. After the delay, she birdied hole 11 and found four more pars on the course. Gottman had three pars and six bogeys on the front, but settled in after the delay with six pars and a birdie on hole 14. She smartly did not hit driver off the tee to eliminate the water hazard from play.
Louise Ekesall shot 82 and is tied for 23rd. She finished each side strong with five pars to finish the front and four more on the back.
The Mastodons' 313 was just three shots shy of their best at a Horizon League Championship. Oakland's 309 was the Horizon League's best.
The second round of the championship will begin with tee times for the 'Dons starting at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday (April 26).
The Mastodons barely got the round in, as a weather delay cut the round in half.
Gottman is tied for second place in the 35-player field. Her 75 featured three birdies, coming on holes seven, nine and 17. After a misstep on 16, Gottman responded with a birdie on 17, the course's self-proclaimed hardest hole. She worked her way around the massive tree in the middle of the fairway and across the creek for a birdie.
Natalie Papa turned in a 77, rebounding from a 4-over front nine with an even back nine. She birdied hole 14, a 477-yard par-5 that hugs an alligator pond on the right side. Papa is in a tie for ninth place with 36 to go.
Hunar Mittal and Emily Gottman are tied for 18th after both shooting 81. Mittal shot 41 on the front, finding her footing for four pars in the last four of the side. After the delay, she birdied hole 11 and found four more pars on the course. Gottman had three pars and six bogeys on the front, but settled in after the delay with six pars and a birdie on hole 14. She smartly did not hit driver off the tee to eliminate the water hazard from play.
Louise Ekesall shot 82 and is tied for 23rd. She finished each side strong with five pars to finish the front and four more on the back.
The Mastodons' 313 was just three shots shy of their best at a Horizon League Championship. Oakland's 309 was the Horizon League's best.
The second round of the championship will begin with tee times for the 'Dons starting at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday (April 26).
~ Feel the Rumble ~
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/ Women's Golf
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