Women’s golf has consistently been marked by youth.
Amateur players constantly make noise at some of the biggest professional events. Then, they turn professional, sometimes even as teenagers.
There are 24 amateurs in this week’s 81st U.S. Women’s Open field, many of whom could show up on the leaderboard come Sunday evening. The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, will provide a stout test for the players. Still, it shouldn’t be too difficult for some of the amateurs to potentially contend for the championship.
Here are five amateurs who have a shot at making noise at Riviera this week:
Asterisk Talley
Despite being just 17 years old, Asterisk Talley has been a prominent figure in the amateur game for a few years. She made her first Curtis Cup team in 2024, which was the same season she made her first appearance in a U.S. Women’s Open.
Then 15-year-old Talley made her debut at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open with a tied-for-44th place finish and tied for low amateur honors at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. Talley qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open last year, but she missed the cut at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin.
Talley qualified for this year’s open by shooting 70-69 at a two-round qualifying event in early May.
Kiara Romero
Kiara Romero has been one of the best women’s amateurs this year. She earned her spot in the U.S. Women’s Open field by earning the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal, which is awarded to the player who leads the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) at the conclusion of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Like Talley, the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open marks the 20-year-old Romero’s third consecutive U.S. Women’s Open start. She missed the cut in 2024, but placed tied for 45th in 2025 with a score of 8 over par.
Romero won two events last season as a third-year student at the University of Oregon. She also won two events the year prior, one of which was the Big Ten Conference Women’s Golf Championship.
Farah O’Keefe
Farah O’Keefe made her way to the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open field by winning the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Individual Championship in May.
The 21-year-old O’Keefe is making her third U.S. Women’s Open start this week at Riviera. Her first came in 2023 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, where she missed the cut. She didn’t qualify for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open, but returned to the field in 2025, when she placed tied for 36th at 7 over par.
Aside from her win at the NCAA Championship, O’Keefe recorded three other wins in 2026, which puts her at No. 4 in the WAGR.
Maria Jose Marin
Maria Jose Marin qualified for the 81st U.S. Women’s Open by winning one of the most prestigious women’s amateur events, the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Marin won the tournament by four strokes after shooting a 4-under-par 68 during the final round.
The 19-year-old Marin’s first U.S. Women’s Open was last season at Erin Hills, where she placed 55th with a score of 11 over par.
Apart from her win at the ANWA, Marin has one other win in 2026 at the Clemson Invitational, the week before the ANWA.
Paula Martin Sampedro
This year’s U.S. Women’s Open will mark the second of Paula Martin Sampedro’s career. Martin Sampedro qualified for the open by winning the 2025 Women’s Amateur Championship conducted by the R&A in June 2025, when she defeated Farah O’Keefe in match play, 2 and 1.
In Martin Sampedro’s first U.S. Women’s Open, she missed the cut at Erin Hills in 2025 with a score of 2 over par after the first two rounds.
The 20-year-old Spaniard won two tournaments as a third-year student at Stanford University in 2026, one of which was the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Golf Championship.
