Louise Reau might as well have been playing a different golf course than the rest of the field at the Golfweek Hoosier Women’s Amateur. After three rounds at the notoriously challenging Pfau Course at Indiana University in Bloomington, Reau had separated herself by 13 shots.
And all this after feeling like she hadn’t had her best game lately.
“It was really hard because I got injured, so I was out for two months,” Reau said after winning the title on Aug. 6. “I had a hard time just coming back but I was around really great people. I had really great health, mentally, so I just kept going and kept believing that I was going to be back, I just needed to wait. I think that proves that I’m probably back ― hope so.”
Reau, of Beziers, France, transferred
to Texas A&M last year for her junior season. But before that, her first two years at Georgia Southern were remarkable. She won four individual titles and became the first player in program history to compete in an NCAA Regional as an individual in 2024 before leading the Eagles to their first-ever team appearance in the NCAA Women’s Championship in 2025.
Reau opened the week in Indiana with a 5-under 66 that included back-to-back birdies to close the day. She had just bogeyed No. 16 after failing to fully commit to her tee shot, and “was a little mad” about it. Having a short memory, however, opened the door for her to go 2 under on Nos. 17 and 18.
“I think you just had to think about being smart about the holes because there’s holes where you can go for it and be a little bit more aggressive and others where you have to be a bit more safe,” Reau said of her approach to the golf course. “I think I did a great job with that.
“I enjoyed it so it also really helped. Being able to know when you can go for it and go for the pins or not is really important on pretty much any type of course.”
Rounds of 71-70 followed to leave Reau at 6 under for the week. The 66 went a long way in setting up something of a comfortable week for her.
“It does give you confidence and you can go in being a little bit more chill and not really thinking about the score but the job is never done so you always have to think that the next day is going to be a new day and anyone can do the same thing that you did,” she said.
Julie Waldo of Prattville, Alabama, was second at 7 over followed by Sabrina Langerak of Marne, Michigan, another shot back. Waldo, who won the Alabama Women’s Match Play last summer, will start her college career at Jacksonville State this fall while Langerak just finished her senior season at Ball State. She will return this season as the Cardinals' graduate assistant.
The Hoosier Women’s Amateur victory amounts to a big infusion of confidence for Reau before her senior season begins for the Aggies. She now owns the record for the largest margin of victory in the seven-year history of the tournament.
“I’m 100 percent sure I’m really ready to be back,” she said of the start of the fall season. “I’ve been struggling this summer too so I’m having a little break in the U.S., and being able to play that tournament right before season does give me confidence and get me excited for the year.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Louise Reau torches Indiana's Pfau Course for record win at Hoosier Women’s Amateur
