IJGA Alumni Succeed on the
Big Stage of College Golf
International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) student-ath-
letes become good enough to earn spots and play golf
at the college level, while using their skills to get an
excellent education. They get into colleges they may
not have been admitted to without their golf talents.
They play hard and study hard. Here are just some of
this season’s IJGA alumni success stories.
Mind Puangcharoen – IJGA Class of 2015
Wingate University sophomore Mind Puangcharoen
earned the South Atlantic Conference 2018
Championships individual medalist MVP honors and
helped her team earn its fourth SAC women’s golf
championship title and its first since 2014. The Bulldog’s
26-stroke margin of victory was the largest in a decade.
Saptak Talwar – IJGA Class of 2017
Sacred Heart University freshman Saptak Talwar
used a five-under 67 to vault atop the leaderboard
before winning the 2018 Northeast Individual
Championship. The rookie recorded the round of
five-under 67 with seven birdies in the final round. As
individual conference champion, Talwar qualified for
the 2018 NCAA Men’s Golf Championships televised
on Golf Channel.
Samuel Cudjoe – IJGA Class of 2017
Saint Augustine University freshman Cudjoe qualified
for the NCAA II Atlantic/East Regional as Top Individual
Seed. The Falcons’ freshman won both CIAA Golfer
of the Year and CIAA Rookie Golfer of the Year for
posting the top individual average (73.25) in the
conference. He earned All-CIAA honors in addition to
winning the league’s Southern Division title and tying
for third in the Northern Division Tournament. He
won four of seven tournaments including the Black
College Hall of Fame Tournament in September 2017,
the Falcon Fall Shootout in October 2017 and the
Falcon Spring Invitational in April 2018.
Jasmine Chee – IJGA Class of 2016
Western Michigan sophomore Jasmine Chee was a
second finisher for the Broncos’ team at MAC
Championships.
2
Lino Galdin – IJGA Class of 2017
Mercer University freshman Lino Galdin earned
Southern Conference men’s golf postseason honors
named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team following
an impressive individual performance at the 2018
conference championships. The IJGA alumni finished
his rookie campaign with a strokes-per-round average
of 74.70 over 20 rounds played.
Yuna Sato – IJGA Class of 2017
Central Oklahoma freshman Sato tied for sixth in the
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Women’s Golf Championships. She was second of
three Broncos placing in the top 10 at the tournament.
Sera Tadokoro – IJGA Class of 2017
The top Kansas finisher at the Palmetto Intercollegiate
after recording a 1-under (71) in the final round,
Tadokoro shot even-par in her first collegiate round
at the Minnesota Invitational. She recorded a top-20
finish at the Marilynn Smith Invitational, finished in the
top-10 at the Chip-N-Club Invitational, tied for 25th at
the Briar’s Creek Invitational, and fired a 223 (+7) at
the MountainView Collegiate to finish tied for 19th.