The 125th edition of the U.S. Women’s Amateur already has a winner. Megha Ganne, a final-year student at Stanford and one of the leading figures in American amateur golf, claimed the prestigious Robert Cox Trophy after defeating Brooke Biermann 4 & 3 in the final held at the spectacular Bandon Dunes.
Ganne, 21 years old and a native of Holmdel, New Jersey, thus closes the circle she began to draw seven years ago when, at just 15, she reached the semifinals of this same tournament, losing to Albane Valenzuela back in 2019. Since then, she has accumulated numerous accolades. The final-year student at Stanford became the fourth player associated with the prestigious program to win the Robert Cox Trophy, joining Anne Sander, Joanne Pacillo, and Rose Zhang. She also concludes an idyllic summer for her university following the victories of Paula Martín with the Women’s Amateur, Europeans, and Sylver Smeath. It is the third time in history that a university has claimed the double crown of Women’s Amateur and US Women’s Amateur
In fact, who better than her summer triumph companion to profile the champion. Paula Martín knows her well. She has spent two years sharing day and night with the American. A player who contributes and unites the team “Megha is very outgoing. She is a very good friend to her friends and a great team player,” says the Women’s Amateur champion.
Regarding her playing style, the Madrid native is clear about Ganne’s main virtues: “She is a very consistent player with incredible mental strength.” The data supports Paula. The comeback in the semifinals when she was four holes down with seven to play is the best example of this. She could well be nicknamed ‘fighter’, a term used for the Spanish players who are her generation companions of the American. With the clubs in hand, she highlights that she misses very little from the tee, hits the driver very straight. Additionally, she is usually very precise on the greens,” adds Paula.
Experience at her age is a degree, and Megha has been competing with the best from a very young age. Paula also highlights: “She is a player with a lot of poise and experience. Although it may seem obvious after this tournament, she is very good at Match Play.” Who knows if in the future she might be seen in a Solheim. She has the potential.
She is a true reference in the amateur world. Before starting her career, she had already led a US Women’s Open and finished in a top 20. She has 17 top ten finishes in the three years she has been in college and was the 2024 NCAA champion with Stanford. If she plays the ANWA 2026, she will become the player with the most participations in the history of the tournament, in which she holds the lowest round with 63 strokes.
Megha’s path to the title was not easy. In fact, the Saturday semifinal against Australian Ella Scaysbrook was an emotional rollercoaster. Megha was 4 down with seven holes to play, but she showed character to level the match and finish it on the 19th hole. A comeback that is now part of the recent history of the tournament.
In the final against Biermann, the story was different. Ganne did not let herself be caught at any moment. The duel started evenly, but the stretch between holes 12 and 14 made the difference: three consecutive holes in her favour and a decisive show of authority. “This is probably my last Women’s Amateur, and I really, really wanted to win it,” she confessed afterwards, with the trophy in her hands.
The prize goes far beyond the title. Her victory secures her a place in the US Women’s Open 2026 at Riviera Country Club, in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Additionally, she has earned access to three other Majors such as the Chevron Championship, the Amundi Evian Championship, and the AIG Women’s Open. She will also play the Curtis Cup 2026 with the United States team and is exempt for the next ten US Women’s Amateur, if she maintains that status.
Ganne, daughter of Indian immigrants and trained from a young age by coach Katie Rudolph, has honed her game through discipline and consistency. At Bandon Dunes, she has shown that she combines talent and composure like few others. “I’m not going to lie, I was thinking about this trophy all day…, but if it’s meant to happen, it happens,” she summarised.
With this victory, Megha Ganne bids farewell to the US Women’s Amateur in style and solidifies herself as one of the great stories in women’s amateur golf. The leap to professionalism is getting closer, but she still has one final year at Stanford. Stay tuned.
