PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's golf freshman Elizabeth Ryu has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, announced Thursday by the league office. Ryu carded a top-three finish at the Lehigh Invitational last weekend in Bedminster, New Jersey.
 
It marks the first weekly conference honor of Ryu's young collegiate career and the first for the program since Rikke Nordvik earned Big Ten Golfer of the Week on April 10, 2024.
 
"Ellie's career as a Scarlet Knight is off to a strong start," said head coach Kari Williams. "She worked hard all fall and was a contributor at each team event she competed in. Ellie put together two solid rounds at the Lehigh Invitational last weekend, and it was a great experience for her to compete under pressure while at the top of the leaderboard. We are proud of Ellie's career-best finish and for earning conference honors this week."
 
Ryu tied for third in the 93-player field at the Lehigh Invitational with a four-over-par 148 (75-73), finishing just one stroke behind co-champions Emma Tang (Navy) and Puneet Bajwa (Old Dominion). Ryu rolled in six birdies and 22 pars across her 36 holes at Trump Bedminster.
 
The Dublin, Ohio, native earned three spots in the Scarlet Knights' starting lineup this fall, helping RU to a runner-up finish at the Princeton Invitational on Oct. 4. Including her performance at the Lehigh Invitational, Ryu carded 11 rounds for Rutgers during the fall.
 
The Scarlet Knights closed the fall season with back-to-back top five team finishes, including their fifth-place result at the Route 66 Invitational in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.