Golf NIL Movement: 2025-26 Season Wrap, Women's College Golf MVPs

by Golf NIL Staff

May 30, 2026

The 2025-26 season ends with a new No. 1 on top of the Golf NIL College Women's Rankings, a year where the women's game set the standard for NIL growth, headlined by several of the most marketable players college golf has ever produced. Here’s how it closed:

Golf NIL College 2025-26 Women's Rankings

1. Megha Ganne, Stanford

2. Kiara Romero, Oregon

3. Andrea Revuelta, Stanford

4. Maria Jose Marin, Arkansas

5. Paula Martin Sampedro, Stanford

6. Farah O'Keefe, Texas

7. Kelly Xu, Stanford

8. Anna Davis, Auburn

9. Meja Ortengren, Stanford

10. Patience Rhodes, Arizona State

11. Bailey Shoemaker, USC

12. Eila Galitsky, South Carolina

13. Jasmine Koo, USC

14. Cayetana Fernandez, Texas A&M

15. Rianne Malixi, Duke

16. Macy Pate, Wake Forest

17. Scarlett Schremmer, Miami

18. Marta Silchenko, Oklahoma State

19. Andie Smith, Duke

20. Sara Brentcheneff, Arkansas

21. Lauren Kim, Texas

22. Beth Coulter, Arizona State

23. Catherine Park, USC

24. Jeneath Wong, Pepperdine

25. Chloe Kovelesky, Wake Forest

26. Reagan Zibilski, Arkansas

27. Avery Weed, Mississippi State

28. Rocio Tejedo, LSU

29. Taylor Kehoe, Michigan State

30. Cindy Hsu, Texas

31. Vanessa Borovilos, Texas A&M

32. Megan Propeck, Florida

33. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State

34. Paula Francisco, Florida

35. Megan Streicher, North Carolina

36. Elise Lee, USC

37. Mackenzie Lee, SMU

38. Marie Madsen, NC State

39. Emma Bunch, New Mexico State

40. Sky Sudberry, Texas A&M

41. Luisamariana Mesones, Minnesota

42. Nellie Ong, Ohio State

43. Sophia Fullbrook, Florida State

44. Pimpisa Rubrong, Arizona State

45. Kylie Chung, USC

46. Katie Li, Duke

47. Ashley Yun, Northwestern

48. Pimpisa Sisutham, Central Florida

49. Emily Odwin, SMU

50. Isla McDonald O'Brien, Arizona State

Watchlist

51. Francesca Fiorellini, LSU

52. Ava Merrill, Vanderbilt

53. Dianna Lee, Northwestern

54. Kylee Choi, Pepperdine

55. Catherine Rao, Oregon

56. Clarisa Temelo, Arizona

57. Savannah de Bock, Eastern Michigan

58. Camille Min-Gaultier, TCU

59. Thanana Kotchasanmanee, Princeton

60. Kyra Van Kan, Tennessee 

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Editor's note: Updated to reflect Ganne's May 31 announcement that she will turn pro at the U.S. Women's Open rather than stay an amateur.

Major Moves

Kiara Romero owned the Golf NIL College Women's No. 1 since the opening week of the 2025-26 season. Megha Ganne took it in the last one.

Ganne moved between No. 2 and No. 3 until this week, thanks to a dominant season capped by her second NCAA Championship team title and fourth for the program. For the Stanford senior, it was a perfect ending to a college career that produced three wins and 21 top-10 finishes.

Golf NIL No. 1 Megha Ganne wearing sponsors Ernst & Young, Polo Ralph Lauren, TaylorMade, and Delta at the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur | Darren Carroll/USGA

She started this season as the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion and went on to take gold with Team USA at the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC), claim the Stanford Intercollegiate title, and make a record sixth appearance at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Backed by Ralph Lauren, Ernst & Young, Delta Air Lines, and TaylorMade, Ganne holds one of the most prominent NIL portfolios in college golf. The partnerships have come with tour-level visibility, slotting her into commercials alongside Rickie Fowler, Nellie Korda, Ernie Els, and Billy Horschel. She also landed a multi-year spot in Bank of America's ANWA campaign with Romero.

Now, she has the opportunity to transition that college portfolio into a professional one. By finishing first in the inaugural LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway rankings, Ganne earned Epson Tour membership through 2027. That status becomes active June 12-14 at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at the Medalist Golf Club.

But first, she heads to the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club next week for her professional debut. It's her second major appearance this year and fourth overall.

She’ll be joined by a deep field of Golf NIL-ranked players, including Romero (College Women's No. 2), Maria José Marin (No. 4), Farah O'Keefe (No. 6), Meja Ortengren (No. 9), Lauren Kim (No. 22), Catherine Park (No. 24), Chloe Kovelesky (No. 26), Paula Francisco (No. 35), Nellie Ong (No. 43), and Thanana Kotchasanmanee (No. 60), along with high schoolers Asterisk Talley (High School Girls No. 2), Aphrodite Deng (No. 3), and Zoe Cusack (No. 9).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3g1S_dx9cA

Ganne in EY's 2025 "Shape the Future with Confidence" ad | EY US's YouTube channel

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Farah O'Keefe ends the 2025-26 season five spots up, finishing at Golf NIL College Women's No. 6.

The Texas junior and world No. 4 won four times this season, highlighted by a historic postseason haul. Along with the coveted NCAA Division I women's golf individual title, she took home both the 2026 ANNIKA Award and SEC Player of the Year honors.

In March, O'Keefe joined Nike's Blue Ribbon Elite program as one of 16 Longhorns selected for the brand's new NIL initiative. The deal was announced ahead of her third appearance at the ANWA, where she finished T15 and wore the brand for the first time as an NIL partner.

Her broader portfolio includes Titleist, Huntington National Bank, Arcis Golf, Downshift Golf, and Holey Moley Golf Club.

Next up for O'Keefe: The U.S. Women's Open followed by the Curtis Cup at Bel-Air Country Club, her second Team USA appearance of the season after winning gold at the WATCs alongside Ganne.

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Rankings and analyses published in Golf NIL Movement reflect competitive performance, verified brand partnerships, and public visibility indicators. Insights focus on observable market outcomes rather than internal valuation methodology or scoring criteria.