DALLAS – Jax State’s Lara El Chaib and Liberty’s Michael Lugiano have been named Conference USA’s Golfers of the Week.
 
CUSA Women’s Golfer of the Week – Lara El Chaib, Jax State – Jr. – Abu Dhabi, UAE
El Chaib tied for eighth at three-under in the 78-player field at the Pirate Collegiate Classic hosted by East Carolina. She posted a four-under round of 68 to start the season, which was highlighted by a 32 on the front nine with five birdies. During Monday's second round, she posted birdies on 16 and 18 to finish with an even-par 72. In Tuesday's final round she birdied the Par 5 ninth after a double on eight to post 36 on the front and finished her weekend with a birdie on 18 for the third round in a row to finish with a one-over 73. Her 14 birdies during the tournament were tied for the third most in the field.
 
CUSA Men's Golfer of the Week - Michael Lugiano, Liberty - Jr. - Jackson Township, Pa.
Lugiano was the co-champion at the Bearcat Invitational, carding a 9-under par 204 (66-69-69) at the Coldstream Country Club (par 71, 7,279 yards) in Cincinnati, Ohio. The junior tied for first place with TCU’s Cameron Kuchar (204 – 68-67-69), son of PGA Tour professional Matt Kuchar. This was the third individual title of Lugiano’s collegiate career, as he has won an event in each of his three seasons at Liberty. Lugiano opened the tournament with a 5-under par 66, matching his lowest career 18-hole total. He posted three-straight rounds in the 60s, marking 21 career sub-70 rounds. The junior finished the event with a 9-under par 204, his second lowest 54-hole total of his collegiate career. He also finished ranked fourth in the field in par-4 scoring (3.91 average/-3) and second in par-5 scoring (4.33 average/-6). The junior carded one of the seven eagles during the event on the par-5, No. 10 hole (580) during the first round. This win marked the 38th individual collegiate medalist honor in Liberty’s NCAA Division I program history. Lugiano’s finish helped the Flames claim the team title at the Bearcat Invitational (15-under par 837), posting a three-shot victory over TCU (12-under par 840). Liberty also recorded its 36th NCAA Division I team title in program history and the first regular season event victory since the 2020-21 season (Timuquana Collegiate – Jan. 25-26, 2021). Following two events this fall, Lugiano holds a 68.83 season stroke average. 
 
2026-27 CUSA Women’s Golfer of the Week
S2         Grace Frei, WKU
S9          Rhianna Gooneratne, Delaware
S16       Lara El Chaib, Jax State
 
2026-27 CUSA Men’s Golfer of the Week
S2          Luke Libbey, Liberty
S9          Kostka Horno, NM State
               Mateo Payán, NM State
S16       Michael Lugiano, Jax State