The Expected Lineup Impact of the Class of 2024 Girls
7/5 CGC Staff
Earlier this summer we analyzed the lineup impact that our top-10 2024 boys recruiting classes would have on their respective teams and now we shine some light on the girls of 2024. This class is deep with both American and International talent, all of whom will embark on a new golf journey in the fall. Many of these players are expected to make immediate contributions to their team, and others may start out in a supporting role while they learn the ropes of college. Whatever the expectations, the freshmen should welcome the challenge, embrace the opportunity, and enjoy the experience and challenges ahead of them.
We’ve taken a deep dive into our top-10 girls’ recruiting classes, looked at what their teams’ rosters have lost and the impact the newcomers can make for their teams. Some freshmen are entering rosters that continue to have a strong lineup with solid backup options, and others are joining teams that have spots to fill from graduated seniors and ‘covid year’ fifth years. Whatever the situation, these highly touted freshmen will be hungry to compete and contribute. *Please note that at the time of printing, we don’t have full information on all transfers that may be entering the schools in this article.
Stanford University: The perennial nationals contender and reigning 2024 NCAA champion is restocking the farm with a boatload of talent from around the world. The Cardinal loses two important players from their national championship lineup in Rachel Heck and Sadie Englemann but retains three outstanding returnees and another player with considerable lineup experience. We’d consider two lineup spots all but locked up by Ganne and Martin Sampedro, and any of the four newcomers could slot into the starting five. Three international golfers currently sit in the top-40 in WAGR, with the lone American just outside the top 100. Come 2025 post-season, there will be some talent forced to sit on the sidelines.
Photos: letaccess.com, Stanfordwgolf instagram, European Golf Rankings, amateurgolf.com
Sweden's Meja Ortengren won the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions in 2021 & 2022, the professional PGA Championship Trelleborg in 2022, and the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship. She represented team Europe in both the 2023 Junior Ryder and Solheim Cups and finished 3rd in the 2023 R&A Girls Amateur. In 2024, she has carded a top-10 finish at the prestigious Sage Valley Junior Invitational, 3rd at Portuguese Internacional Ladies Amateur, and a runner-up finish at the Europeans Nations Cup. Adding to the European flavor of this class is Spaniard Andrea Revuelta, the 2022 Toyota Junior World Cup champion and winner of the 2023 Campeonato de Espana Amateur. Revuelta's resume includes top-5 finishes in the 2022 Santander Campeonato de Espana, 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, Europeans Nations Cup, 2023 Internationaux de France, and the European Nationals Cup. She has already achieved two wins in 2024 at the Spanish International Ladies Amateur and the Campeonato de Espana Amateur. Both players should see considerable lineup time for the Cardinal. Joining Ortengren in the Swedish contingent is Nora Sundberg, who is the 2023 Spanish International Ladies Amateur champion and runner-up at the 2023 Spanish International Stroke Play. Sundberg owns four Swedish Teen Tour Elite wins in 2022 & 2023 and placed 5th at the 2022 & 2023 World Junior Girls Championships. Alongside Ortengren and Revuelta, she represented team Europe in both the 2023 Junior Ryder and Solheim Cups. In 2024 she has found the top-5 on leaderboards at the Spanish International Ladies Amateur and the European Nations Cup. The lone American Recruit is Californian Leigh Chien. The future Cardinal joined her above competitors in representing her country in both the Junior Solheim and Ryder Cups this fall. Her triumphs include wins at the 2021 Arizona Silver Belle Championship and the 2022 AJGA Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational. She has posted consistent top-5 finishes at the 2023 US Girls Junior Championship, 2023 AJGA Fortinet Girls Invitational at Stanford, 2022 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, and the 2022 Dye Junior Invitational and reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 US Women's Amateur. 2024 success includes a victory at the Southwestern Amateur and 4th place finishes at the AJGA Mizuho Americas Open and the Arizona Women’s Amateur. It is safe to say that Stanford will be part of the post-season conversation for years to come as these four challenge each other for lineup spots.
University of Oregon: The #12 ranked Ducks made a splash at the NCAA championship, riding a wave to the semifinals on the shoulders of a star freshman in Kiara Romero, in addition to two graduating players in the post-season lineup. They also lost another senior who spent considerable time in the starting five during the season. While Romero’s lineup spot remains a lock, the incoming freshmen should have a solid opportunity to crack the Ducks’ lineup this fall. This recruiting class of three is led by top American recruit Yana Wilson, who should slot into the lineup behind Romero.
Wilson had a busy 2023, representing the US at both the Junior Solheim Cup and the Junior Ryder Cup. Her resume reads like a laundry list of accomplishments, with a list of championships including the 2022 US Junior Girls Championship, the 2022 AJGA Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational, the 2023 IJGT Elite Series #1, and the 2023 AJGA Mizuho Americas Open. Her top-3 finishes include the 2023 AJGA Ping Invitational, the 2023 Girls Junior PGA Championship, 2023 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship, and the 2023 AJGA Ping Heather Farr Classic. She has played solidly in 2024 thus far, placing 3rd at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and 2nd at the AJGA Mizuho Americas Open. Complementing Wilson are two highly touted international recruits, China's Tong An and Thailand's Suvichaya Vinijchaitham. An, a top-200 player on WAGR, had two wins and seven top-4 finishes in professional events in China in 2022 & 2023, along with two junior and one amateur win. Stateside, she owns runner-up finishes in the 2022 AJGA Greenwood Junior Championship and 2022 AJGA Junior at Dupont. An placed 7th in the 2023 Womens' Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship and 6th at the 2023 Buick China Junior Championship, and has continued to challenge herself in professional play in 2024.
Vinijchaitham has the following wins in the past two years: 2023 SEA Amateur Team Championship, 2023 Bank Mandiri Junior World Championship, SINGHA Thailand Amateur Match Play Championship, and the 2022 Pondak Indah International Junior Championship. She finished 2nd at the Macedonian Amateur Open and in 2024 placed 12th at the Women’s Asia-Pacific and 6th in a professional competition in Thailand. We expect both international players to see considerable playing time this year.
Photos: Wagr, Global Times
Auburn University: We ranked Auburn as the number three recruiting class on signing day in November 2023, before it was known that top recruit Anna Davis would enroll at the University in January of 2024. To stay consistent with our original rankings, we will include Davis in this discussion. Enrolling early, Davis made an immediate impact, helping the Tigers to a quarterfinals match play appearance at the NCAA Championship and the 7th spot in the final season rankings. The graduation of Auburn’s Meghan Schofill leaves a big hole in the lineup, as she was a big contributor to the team’s success. The Tigers also graduated a solid player from their final five and an additional player who say playing time in six tournaments.
Photos: Auburn Tigers
Davis, the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, adjusted easily to college play, with an early spring collegiate top-10 and a runner-up finish at the Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic. She hit her stride at the SEC Championship, placing 4th, then notched her first collegiate win at the NCAA regional. She will look to be a leader on this team in the fall with her vast playing experience in high pressure tournaments. The two open lineup spots could be filled by returnees or by two newcomers. Davis will be joined by Spain's Balma Davalos Guaita, who is currently in the top 200 in WAGR. Guaita held the trophy at the 2023 Sergio Garcia Junior Championship and was runner-up at the 2023 Annika Invitational Europe. She can be found in the top-5 of the 2023 R&A Girls Amateur Championship, Copa Catalunya Femenina, Campeonato de Puerta De Hierro, and the 2022 Spanish International Ladies Amateur. She has displayed consistency in 2024, with top-4 finishes in five European events and a 7th place finish at the Toyota Junior World Cup. She should see playing time in her freshman year. Rounding out this class is Singapore's Anne Fernandez, who won 3 events in the US in 2022: the Jimmy Self Invitational, Blade Junior Classic, and the AJGA Mizuno-Keith Mitchell Junior Championship. She also placed 6th at the 2022 Beth Daniel Junior Azalea and 9th at the 2023 Taiwan Junior Open. She has not played in any WAGR ranked events in 2024, with limited tournament experience this season; therefore, her contribution in the fall is questionable.
University of Southern California: USC finished 4th in the final season rankings and closed out the NCAA Championship in a tough semifinal loss to eventual champion Stanford. Their success in 2024 was due to the contributions of Amari Avery, three underclassmen, and one graduation senior. The Trojans’ roster took a hit in early June when their star Avery announced her decision to turn professional a year early. Currently, the USC roster for 2024-2025 includes six athletes, three who were part of the post-season lineup. This puts high expectations on the incoming freshmen, both of whom come in with strong resumes and are ranked in our top-10 Americans in this class.
Photos: AJGA
Jasmine Koo’s trophy collection includes championships at the 2023 Women's Western Amateur, 2023 AJGA Ping Invitational, 2022 Girls Junior America's Cup, 2022 AJGA Ping Heather Farr Classic, and the 2022 AJGA Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation Junior Championship. Her top-5 finishes include the 2023 AJGA Fortinet Girls Invitational at Stanford, 2022 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship, and the 2022 AJGA Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational. She also represented the US at the 2023 Junior Solheim Cup. Her stock has risen even further in 2024 with a 13th place at the LPGA Chevron Championship, 1st at the Toyota Junior World Cup, 3rd at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, and 4th at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She will be in contention for the #1 lineup spot on the 24-25 team and a welcome addition to USC’s roster. Her fellow freshman Kylie Chong had an excellent 2023 season to propel her to #8 in our American rankings, highlighted by a 2nd place finish at the Girls Junior PGA Championship and a win at the AJGA Junior at Hop Springs. She added two AJGA top-3 finishes to her resume at the Girls Invitational and the Polo Golf Junior Classic. Her finish at the Junior PGA earned her a spot on the US Junior Ryder Cup team. 2022 highlights include a strong 8th place at the Girls Junior PGA and a match play appearance at the US Girls Junior Amateur. Her results in 2024 have been inconsistent, but with such a small roster size, Chong will see action on this team.
Louisiana State University: The LSU Tigers finished the 2023-24 season ranked third after losing a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals of match play at the NCAA Championship. LSU has graduated three athletes who were the core of their championship lineup, including one of the nation’s top players, Ingrid Lingblad. All three leave big shoes to fill, and they will rely on freshman contribution in their lineup. Spain’s Rocio Tejedo should step right into her sister’s spot, as she is the winner of the 2023 German Girls Open, 2023 European Nations Cup, 2023 Copa Catalunya Femenina, Portuguese Internacional Ladies Amateur, and 2023 & 2022 Copa Andalucia. That's a lot of wins in a short time.
Photos: rfegolf.es, sverigesrado.es
Tejedo owns top-5 finishes in the 2023 R&A Girls Amateur Championship, 2023 Internationaux de France U21, 2023 Spanish International Ladies Amateur, and 2022 Spanish International Stroke Play. The Wagr top-25 player represented Europe at the Junior Ryder and Solheim Cups in 2023 and in 2024 she has finished 3rd at the Cope Andalucia and 6th at the Portuguese Internacional Ladies Amateur. She is expected to be an immediate contributor if the Tigers wish to replicate their success from last season. Next in this recruiting class is Sweden's Josefin Widal, who owns the championship trophies from three Swedish Teen Tour Elite events in 2022 & 2023. Widal was a member of the European Junior Solheim Cup team and has five top-6 finishes in junior events in her home country in 2022 & 2023. In 2024 she has one win and five top-10 results in European junior events. She will challenge the returning players for one of the open lineup spots. American Samantha Olson is the third member of this class. She finished 2nd at the JGAA Warren Shutte Invitational, 6th at the Southwest Junior PGA Championship, and 5th at the Golfweek Southwest Junior Open in 2023, but hasn’t logged any searchable results in 2024. Olson will benefit from intra-squad competition in her first year, with the hope of grabbing a lineup spot.
University of California, Los Angeles: UCLA, with a final season ranking at #5, made it all the way to the NCAA Championship final before falling to Stanford 3-2. The Bruins return five players from their post-season lineup, which bodes well for their chances next season, while bringing in two players in our 6th ranked recruiting class. Senior Kate Villegas departs with four top-10 finishes from last season, and she is the only loss from their 2023-24 roster of eight. This season, UCLA will rely on Zoe Campos, who recorded a phenomenal four wins last year. All but one player competed in at least five tournaments last season, which shows the Bruins’ depth and the competitiveness of the upcoming season’s qualifiers. The incoming freshmen will have strong competition to crack the lineup but have the talent to do so, especially one international recruit.
Photos: Golfweek, AJGA
UCLA has a small but mighty class of two, with Italy's Francesca Fiorellini and California's Yilin (Angela) Liu. Fiorellini currently holds a top-30 WAGR ranking and was a member of the 2023 Junior Ryder and Solheim Cup teams representing Europe. In 2023 she won both the Italian International Ladies Amateur and the Italian Ladies Match Play. Top-10s in high-ranked tournaments include 4th at the 2023 European Ladies Amateur, 9th at the 2023 Women's Amateur Championship, 8th at the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship, and 8th at the World Amateur Team Championship. In 2024 she has won the Italian Ladies Match Play and finished 3rd at the Ladies Italian Open. That's some excellent golf, and add that to wins in 2022 at the Annika Invitational Europe and the Italian Ladies Stroke Play Championship. Her future teammate Liu finished 5th at the AJGA Girls Invitational and won two AJGA Open events in 2022. Liu finished 8th at the 2022 Girls Junior PGA Championship and made the round of 64 at the 2022 US Women's Amateur.
Harvard University: Harvard makes an appearance in both of our boys and girls recruiting class rankings, which is surprising because neither team is ranked high collegiately. The women’s team finished the 2023-24 season ranked #111, with a smaller number of events than most teams. The Crimson lost two seniors from their roster, both who spent every tournament in the starting five, with some solid finishes. All returning team members competed in at least half of the Crimson’s events and should vie for lineup spots. Because of their potential and experience, the three freshmen should have an excellent chance to make Harvard’s lineup.
Photos: Golf Canada, AJGA
The school has inked three players who rank in the top-15 of their class in the JGS rankings at the time of printing. Canada's Vanessa Zhang has an impressive resume that includes a round-of 32 appearance at the 2023 US Women's Amateur, three AJGA Invitational top-5 finishes in the past two years, and 7th at the 2023 Canadian Women's Amateur. She also had two other amateur top-5 finishes in 2022. She has inked three AJGA Invitational top-15 finishes since November 2023, including 4th place at the Hilton Grand Vacations Annika Invitational. Another Canadian, Michelle Liu, owns two junior wins in Canada in 2022 & 2023. She has carded four AJGA Invitational top-5 finishes in 2022 & 2023 and made match play in the 2022 US Girls Junior Amateur. Another notable finish is 7th in the 2022 Texas Women's Open. She owns three solid top-20 finishes in national competitions since November of 2023. The third recruit in this class is Lucy Yuan of California. Yuan called herself an AJGA open champion twice in 2022 & 2023, and had two AJGA runner-up finishes. She also made match play at the 2023 US Women's Amateur and finished 9th at the 2023 AJGA Polo Junior Classic. She has also recorded three solid top-20 national results since November 2023. Cracking the lineup at Harvard in anyone’s game, and we expect playing time from all three freshmen.
Texas Christian University: TCU finished the 2023-24 season ranked #57 and did not qualify for post-season play. They will welcome a small but talented class of two to a team that lost their #1 player Lois Lau to graduation, plus one underclassman who contributed to the lineup in a few events. Our number eight ranked recruiting class should add a boost to the TCU lineup and should challenge the returnees for playing time.
Photos: Gracie McGovern instagram, liguegolfpaca.org
Arizona's Gracie McGovern had consistently found herself in the top-10 across all rankings in 2023. She owns titles at the 2023 AJGA Ping Heather Farr Classic and the 2022 Notah Begay National Championship. Completing her impressive resume is a runner-up finish at the 2022 Arizona Silver Belle Championship, 4th at the 2022 Gils Junior Americas Cup, and 5th at the 2022 IMG Academy Junior World Championship. In 2023, McGovern made the round of 64 at the US Women's Amateur and was 9th with her fellow top-10 recruit Brynn Kort at the 2024 US Amateur Four-ball. She recently finished 4th at the Arizona Women’s Amateur. Rounding out this class of two is France's Camille Min-Gaultier, a consistent player who won the 2023 Grand Prix de Moliets. Top-5 finishes in 2023 include the Championnat de France, Grand Prix Jean Louis Jurion, French International Ladies Championship, and the Spanish International Ladies Amateur. In 2022, she finished 5th at the French International Ladies Championship, and has won the Italian International Women’s Championship and the Grand Prix de Bondues in 2024.
Princeton University: Princeton carried a small roster of six in the 2023-24 season in which they finished ranked 186th. Competing in only eight tournaments, the Tigers lost two seniors to graduation and will add three newcomers to their roster this season. Both seniors contributed to the Tigers lineup in each tournament, with Yu Kyung Kim their strongest contributor. With such a small team and open lineup spots, the freshmen have a great opportunity to earn considerable playing time and help Princeton improve their ranking next year.
Photos: AJGA
Princeton's 9th ranked class include three Americans, two of whom have seen time in the top -20 of junior rankings metrics. Californian Olivia Duan is ready for the east coast as the #6 US recruit on our list. Her wins in the past two years include the 2022 AJGA Junior at Dupont and the 2023 San Francisco City Women's Championship. Duan also boasts top-5 finishes at the 2023 Arizona Silver Belle Championship, 2023 AJGA Princeton Championship, 2022 San Francisco City Women's Championship, and the 2022 AJGA Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational. She has had a strong 2024 thus far, with one AJGA open win and a runner-up finish, plus a 5th place showing at the AJGA Fortinet Girls Invitational. The second member of this class is Yufei (Nancy) Dai, who resides in Florida but originates from China. Dai finished 2nd at the 2023 AJGA Spot X Hotel Junior Championship (4th in 2022), and 4th at the 2022 Orlando International Amateur for Juniors. She made match play at the 2023 US Girls Junior Amateur and finished 6th at the 2022 Bubba Conlee Tournament. Rounding out this class is Californian Abra Richmond, who has ranked in the 40s of her class on JGS. She owns two SCPGA Toyota Tour Cup wins in 2022-2023, made match play at the 2023 US Girls Junior Amateur, and finished 7th at the AJGA NW Arkansas Junior. She has two top-7 finishes in California in 2024. Duan is primed for a top lineup spot this year, with Dai making a strong case for playing time. Richmond will hope to challenge for a spot in some tournaments if she can improve her scoring average.
Northwestern University: The Wildcats of Northwestern had a strong 2023-24 season, finishing at #13 in the final rankings. They showed consistency in the post-season, with a 3rd place at Big Tens, 4th at NCAA Regionals, and a solid 11th place finish at the NCAA Championship. They accomplished this with a small roster of seven, which included two seniors. Senior Jennifer Cai was a consistent contributor and top 100 ranked player throughout the season, and Jieni Li was close behind her classmate. Northwestern will look to replace both in the lineup and have a strong freshmen class coming in. All but one returner has considerable lineup experience, with two players that look to have their spots locked up.
Photos: AJGA, Wagr
The 10th ranked recruiting class contains two consistent Americans, including New Jersey's Megan Meng, the 7th ranked American on our list. Meng had a successful 2022, with AJGA championships at the KJ Choi Foundation Junior Championship by SK Telecom and the Coca Cola Junior Championship at the Highlands, two open top-5 finishes, and 4th at the AJGA Ping Invitational. She placed 3rd at the 2023 AJGA Ping Invitational and 5th at the 2023 AJGA Girls Invitational. Meng had the honor of representing the US at the 2023 Junior Solheim Cup, and she qualified for match play at the 2023 US Women's Amateur. In 2024 she has finished 2nd at the AJGA Fortinet Girls Invitational. Elise Lee is the second recruit for Northwestern. Lee, a California native, highlights her resume with a 4th place showing at the 2022 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, 7th at the 2022 AJGA Girls Junior Championship, and 10th at the 2022 Girls Junior PGA Championship. In 2023, she qualified for the US Women's Amateur and notched a SCPGA Toyota Tour Cup win & two top-4 finishes. She has risen in the junior rankings in 2024 with three Toyota Tour Cup 2nd places, 2nd with Meng at the Fortinet, and 6th place at the AJGA Nelly Invitational. Finally, Northwestern brings in talent from Taiwan, Hsin-Tai Lin, currently ranked 31st on JGS. Lin claims two HJGT and two IMGJT wins in 2023, along with 7th at the 2022 Optimist Tournament of Champions.