Class of 2026 Girls Individual Rankings
*Will be updated around the 1st and 15th of each month until signing day in Nov. 2025
United States and Canada
1. Gianna Clemente: Floridian Clemente has occupied the top spot in this class for a long time.As far back as 2022, she finished 2nd at the AJGA Rolex Girls Championship and was the runner-up at the US Girls Junior Amateur. She played in several LPGA events that year, won the AJGA Ping Invitational and made match play at the US Women’s Amateur. She followed up her banner year with a win at the Sally and a 16th place finish in an Epson Tour professional event at the start of 2023. That spring she collected top-10 finishes at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and the AJGA Mizuho Americas Open. Clemente had a magnificent stretch last summer when she held the winner’s trophy at the Junior PGA Championship, made the semifinals of match play in the US Girls Junior, and the round of 32 in the US Women’s Amateur. She was also given the honor or representing the USA in the Junior Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup teams. Highlights of Clemente’s 2024 early spring season include a 5th place finish at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, runner-up at the Sally, and a victory at the AJGA Mizuho Americas Open.
2. Mia Hammond: Ohio native Hammond has also made a habit of finding herself on leaderboards since 2022. In that year, she notched one AJGA open win and a runner-up finish, as well as a round-of-32 appearance at the US Girls Junior Amateur. What really put Hammond on the map was her showing at the US Women’s Amateur, in which she advanced to the round of 16 in match play. She continued her success in 2023, with early top-5 finishes at the Scott Robertson Memorial and the Sally, a prestigious amateur event. She also added a top-10 finish in an open AJGA event at the Dye Junior Invitational. From there, Hammond proceeded to play in two LPGA events, her best finish at 26th in the Dana Open. Her summer also included a 6th place finish at the Junior PGA Championship. 2024 has brought Hammond early success with a win at the AJGA Junior at Canebrake and a runner-up finish at the Dustin Johnson World Junior.
3. Nikki Oh: Californian Oh is another 2026 golfer who began her ascent in the rankings in 2022, with a runner-up finish in an open AJGA event and a 5th place showing at the Arizona Silver Belle Championship. Oh collected four AJGA Invitational top-10 finishes in 2023, with her best showing as runner-up at the Polo Junior Classic. She took home the winner’s trophy at the 2023 Arizona Silver Belle and at an open AJGA event, but most impressive was her round-of-16 appearance at the US Women’s Amateur. 2024 has brought Oh some solid results thus far, with another top-10 finish at the AJGA Fortinet Girls Invitational and 11th at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. She captured the Arizona Women's Amateur title in June.
4. Lisa Herman: Oklahoma’s Herman has quietly moved into the top of 2026 conversation with steady showings at big events. She has two open AJGA event wins to her name since 2022 and picked up two AJGA Invitational top-5s in 2023. In addition to those finishes, Herman notched 2nd place finishes at the Women’s Western Junior and three other AJGA open events in the past year. Add a 3rd place finish at the National High School Invitational to the mix, and Herman has built quite the resume heading into recruitment season. June of 2024 was a good month, as Herman picked up a runner-up finish at the AJGA Rolex Girls Jr Championship and qualified for the quarterfinals in the AJGA RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic.
5. Jude Lee: Californian Lee entered the 2026 watch list in 2022 with an open AJGA event win and a runner-up finish at the Bubba Conlee. 2023 brought her more success with both a Toyota Tour Cup and an AJGA open event win, and three additional AJGA open event top-6 finishes. Lee also finished 9th at the AJGA Polo Junior Classic and qualified for the 2023 US Women’s Amateur. She has found success in early 2024 with top-10 showings at the Nelly Invitational and the Dustin Johnson World Junior, and two 2nd place finishes in open AJGA events, including the Junior at Innisbrook. At the end of May, she hoisted the winner's trophy at the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic by a seven shot margin, and in June she made it to the semi-finals of the AJGA RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic and had a top-10 finish at the AJGA Rolex Girls Championship.
6. Kinsley (Zixin) Ni: Ni comes to California by way of China. She finished 2nd at a stellar field at the 2023 Junior PGA Championship, after winning the AJGA Austin Minnesota Championship. Top-10 finishes in 2024 include the Arizona Silver Belle and the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic. She has am extensive resume in China, including numerous professional competitions. Ni finished 10th at the 2023 China Women's Open and 2nd at the 2024 CLPGQ Beijing Pearl Series.
7. Michelle Xing: If you check Canadian Xing's JGS profile, you find a lot of red scores, and that has translated to an excellent 2024 season thus far. She has won twice in open AJGA events and owns two wins in her native Canada in the span of two months. Xing had a steady 2023, with three AJGA open top-3 finishes, and made the match play rounds at the US Girls Junior Amateur. She finished 2023 with a 2nd place showing at the Elite Invitational. Xing should attract a lot of interest from coaches across the border.
8. Shyla Brown: Texas' Brown has graced leaderboards since early 2023, beginning with an 8th place finish at the Texas Women’s Open, a professional event. She then made top-4 finishes a habit throughout 2023 and early 2024, with three in open AJGA events, a runner-up finish at the Texas Girls Junior Amateur, 4th at the Texas Women’s Stroke Play Championship, and 2nd at the Southwest Airlines Showcase, a collegiate event. Brown recently raised the winner's trophy at the Kathy Whitworth Invitational.
9. Kayla Bryant: Floridian Bryant qualified for the 2023 US Girls Junior Amateur, but her game really started coming around in October 2023 with a FJT win. Since then, she has carded a 4th place finish at the First Tee Miami Doral Junior Classic, a win at the Junior Orange Bowl, and 5th at the Dustin Johnson World Junior. In 2024 AJGA open events, she collected her first win and a runner-up finish. Her trajectory is heading in the right direction at the right time.
10. Irene Kim: Kim, a Maryland native, found early and consistent success in 2022 and through the fall of 2023. Her 2022 resume includes two runner-up finishes at open AJGA events and 3rd place at the AJGA Ping An Bank Jr All-Star Invitational. Kim also grabbed the 5th place spot at the Arizona Silver Belle Championship in 2022. In 2023 she recorded two AJGA Invitational top-5 placements and an open AJGA event win. Also impressive was her 5th place showing at the Maryland Women’s Amateur. Kim has struggled a bit since November, but earned a top-10 finish at the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic to head in the right direction.
Our watch list: Emerie Schartz, Amy Lee, Athena Singh, Celina Yeo
6/30: There is no movement in our rankings, but #5 Jude Lee and #4 Lisa Herman are making their presence in this class known. Both had solid finishes in the AJGA RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic and the AJGA Rolex Girls Invitational, firmly establishing themselves in the top-5 conversation. Celina Yeo enters our watch list with a runner-up finish at the Rolex.