Under clear skies and testing winds at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, Indian-origin golfer Megha Ganne made history by winning the prestigious 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
The 21-year-old from Holmdel, New Jersey, secured a convincing 4-and-3 victory over Brooke Biermann of Wildwood, Missouri, in the 36-hole final on August 10.
This marks Ganne’s first major individual amateur title, adding to an already decorated career in women’s golf.
Who is Megha Ganne?
Megha Ganne is a rising senior at Stanford University and has been a prominent name in American amateur golf for several years. Born to Indian parents Hari and Sudha, she grew up in Holmdel, New Jersey, and is a product of the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program and The First Tee.
Her journey in golf began at a young age and includes four appearances at the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at Augusta National, and representation for the USA in both the Junior Ryder Cup and Junior Solheim Cup.
At the age of 15, she reached the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and two years later, she became the low amateur at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club. In 2022, she went undefeated with a 3-0 record on the winning USA Curtis Cup Team.
She is currently ranked No. 11 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking. Her longtime coach is Katie Rudolph, and she trains under the guidance of Stanford’s coaching staff, where she also contributed to the university’s NCAA title win earlier this year.
Road to the final
Ganne showed excellent form throughout the week in Oregon. She defeated several top-ranked players, including Anna Davis (ranked 14), Kary Hollenbaugh (20), and Eila Galitsky (6). Her most dramatic win came in the semifinal against Ella Scaysbrook, where she was four down with seven holes to play but managed to force extra holes and won on the 19th.
In the final, Ganne faced Brooke Biermann, a 22-year-old Michigan State graduate. The match was tied after nine holes, but Biermann’s putting struggles allowed Ganne to gain a 3-up lead by the lunch break. Ganne extended her advantage with a long birdie putt at the 22nd hole.
Although Biermann fought back with birdies at the 24th and 27th, she also dropped a shot at the 25th. Ganne maintained control and eventually sealed the win on the 35th hole.
Previous setbacks and comeback
Despite her obvious talent, Ganne’s path to this title was not without challenges. She had five first-round match-play losses in earlier editions of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Girls’ Junior. In 2022, she was disqualified from the U.S. Girls’ Junior after signing an incorrect scorecard. Last year, she had to withdraw from the U.S. Women’s Amateur due to food poisoning on the morning of the first round.
Things started to turn around during Stanford’s run to the 2024 NCAA title, where Ganne posted a 2-0 match-play record. In May 2025, she also defeated then-world No. 1 amateur Lottie Woad in the NCAA semifinals. Woad has since won on the LPGA Tour, proving the strength of Ganne’s performance at that time.
What did Megha receive?
- A gold medal and custody of the Robert Cox Trophy for one year.
- Exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships.
- Exemption into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally (can play as professional or amateur).
- Likely invitation to the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
- Likely exemptions into the 2026 Chevron Championship, Amundi Evian Championship, and AIG Women’s Open.
- Name engraved on the 2025 USGA champions’ plaque in the Hall of Champions, USGA Museum and Library.
- Guaranteed place on 2025 USA Women’s World Amateur Team competing in Singapore.
Runner-up and event highlights
Brooke Biermann, a Michigan State graduate, played her final amateur event before entering LPGA Tour Qualifying School. Despite the loss, she received a silver medal, earned a three-year U.S. Women’s Amateur exemption, and gained a spot in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open, although that opportunity will be forfeited if she turns professional.
During the final, each player was allowed to request a special lunch order. Megha Ganne chose a Wanpaku turkey sandwich with American cheese and a salmon avocado sushi roll. Brooke Biermann ordered a turkey bacon wrap with fries.
The match was watched by around 350 spectators. Michigan State coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll flew to Oregon on a private flight to watch Biermann compete. She was accompanied by her former teammate Shannon Kennedy. The referees for the final were Col. Cliff Shahbaz (morning) and Courtney Myhrum (afternoon). Lew Erickson served as the first-tee starter throughout the week.
A memorable summer for Stanford golf
Ganne’s victory adds to a successful summer for the Stanford women’s golf team. Her teammate Paula Martin Sampedro, ranked No. 2 in the world, recently won The Women’s Amateur at Nairn Golf Club, the European Women’s Amateur, and finished in the top 10 at the AIG Women’s Open.
With this win, Megha Ganne joins a celebrated list of past U.S. Women’s Amateur champions, including Babe Didrikson Zaharias, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Juli Inkster, Beth Daniel, Morgan Pressel, Lydia Ko, and Rose Zhang. She is now firmly positioned among the brightest prospects in women’s golf.
(With inputs from USGA.)
