Top Women’s College Golf Teams for 2025-26 Season Revealed

The 2025-26 college golf season is finally here, and it feels like the competition just keeps getting sharper. The NCAA Women’s Golf Championship heads back to the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, so teams are already buzzing with anticipation.

Northwestern, last year’s champions, want to hold onto their title, but the rest of the field is hungry. Let’s take a look at the top teams and standout players to keep an eye on, using Golfweek’s preseason rankings as a guide.

Stanford: The Team to Beat

Stanford walks into the 2025-26 season with sky-high expectations. They’re bringing back all five starters from the squad that dominated stroke play last year.

Four of those players sit inside the world top 10. Senior Megha Ganne, last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur champ, leads the way, alongside junior Paula Martin Sampedro, who racked up wins at the Women’s Amateur Championship and European Ladies Amateur.

Key Players

Stanford’s got a loaded roster:

• Megha Ganne: U.S. Women’s Amateur champion
• Paula Martin Sampedro: Women’s Amateur Championship and European Ladies Amateur winner

Oregon Ducks: Ready to Soar

The Oregon Ducks return every starter from last year’s semifinal team. World No. 1 amateur Kiara Romero headlines the lineup and finished her sophomore year on a tear.

Romero’s a favorite for the Annika Award this season, and the rest of the squad is no slouch either.

Key Players

Oregon’s lineup features:

• Kiara Romero: World No. 1 amateur
• Suvichaya Vinijchaitham: Returning starter
• Karen Tsuru: Returning starter
• Sophie Han: Promising incoming freshman

Texas Longhorns: A Season of Potential

Texas, in year two under coach Laura Ianello, brings back four of five starters from last spring’s match-play squad. Juniors Farah O’Keefe and Lauren Kim look ready to chase Player of the Year honors.

Angela Heo and Cindy Hsu round out a deep lineup that could surprise some folks.

Key Players

Texas boasts a lineup that includes:

• Farah O’Keefe: Player of the Year contender
• Lauren Kim: Player of the Year contender
• Angela Heo: Key depth player
• Cindy Hsu: Key depth player

USC Trojans: Seeking Redemption

USC always seems to be in the mix, though last spring left something to be desired, even with a match-play run. This year, All-Americans Jasmine Koo and Catherine Park return, joined by Bailey Shoemaker and Kylie Chong.

Elise Lee, fresh off Northwestern’s national title team, joins the Trojans and could make a difference right away.

Key Players

USC’s key players include:

• Jasmine Koo: Returning All-American
• Catherine Park: Returning All-American
• Bailey Shoemaker: Returning starter
• Kylie Chong: Returning starter
• Elise Lee: New addition from Northwestern

Arizona State Sun Devils: Experience and New Talent

The Sun Devils bring back a lot of experience, including redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes and juniors Paula Schulz-Hanssen and Beth Coulter. Freshman Pimpisa “Fai” Rubrong is expected to see plenty of action right away.

If Rubrong hits her stride, Arizona State could find itself back in the NCAA match play spotlight.

Key Players

Arizona State’s lineup features:

• Patience Rhodes: Redshirt sophomore
• Paula Schulz-Hanssen: Junior
• Beth Coulter: Junior
• Pimpisa “Fai” Rubrong: Promising freshman

Duke Blue Devils: Fresh Faces

Duke might not have a ton of veterans, but a pair of freshmen could shake things up. Rianne Malixi, who won both the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior, arrives with a lot of buzz.

Avery McCrery, another freshman, is expected to make an impact early on.