Kansas junior Lyla Louderbaugh has been named the Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Week for her performance at the Yale Invitational West. The award recognizes her individual championship from March 9-10, where she posted a scoring average of 71.8. This marks the fourth such honor for a Jayhawk in the conference.
Lawrence, Kan. – On March 12, 2026, the Big 12 Conference announced that Kansas junior Lyla Louderbaugh is the Women's Golfer of the Week. This is the first weekly award of her career and comes during the conference's inaugural spring season for such honors, replacing the previous monthly recognition.
Louderbaugh earned the accolade following her individual victory at the Yale Invitational West, held March 9-10. She opened the tournament with back-to-back rounds of 68, contributing to a tournament scoring average of 71.8. Kansas women's golf coach Lindsay Kuhle praised her performance, stating, "This award is so well deserved. Lyla has played incredible golf this season and she did the same this week at the Yale Invitational West. Shooting 68-68 on the first day was elite golf, she struck it well on her approach shots and putted extremely well."
Throughout the season, Louderbaugh has competed in all eight events for the Jayhawks, who are ranked No. 36 nationally. Her contributions have helped the team secure five top-five finishes and one tournament win. Individually, she has achieved a career-low stroke average of 71.8, with four top-five finishes and seven top-20 results. She currently ranks No. 74 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Kuhle highlighted Louderbaugh's development, saying, "Lyla is a strong competitor, she has great mental toughness and is an elite putter. She's grown so much in the past year, and we can't wait to see what she will continue to do this season."
Louderbaugh joins previous Jayhawk honorees Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (two-time monthly winner in 2014 and 2015), Jordan Rothman (February 2024), and Lauren Clark (February 2025). The team next competes at the PING ASU Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 23-25 at Papago Golf Club.
