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

  • 3 days ago
  • 4 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

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. Jeonghyun Lee, UCLA

  17. Macy Pate, Wake Forest

  18. Scarlett Schremmer, Miami

  19. Marta Silchenko, Oklahoma State

  20. Andie Smith, Duke

  21. Sara Brentcheneff, Arkansas

  22. Lauren Kim, Texas

  23. Beth Coulter, Arizona State

  24. Catherine Park, USC

  25. Jeneath Wong, Pepperdine

  1. Chloe Kovelesky, Wake Forest

  2. Reagan Zibilski, Arkansas

  3. Avery Weed, Mississippi State

  4. Rocio Tejedo, LSU

  5. Taylor Kehoe, Michigan State

  6. Cindy Hsu, Texas

  7. Vanessa Borovilos, Texas A&M

  8. Megan Propeck, Florida

  9. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State

  10. Paula Francisco, Florida

  11. Megan Streicher, North Carolina

  12. Elise Lee, USC

  13. Mackenzie Lee, SMU

  14. Marie Madsen, NC State

  15. Emma Bunch, New Mexico State

  16. Sky Sudberry, Texas A&M

  17. Luisamariana Mesones, Minnesota

  18. Nellie Ong, Ohio State

  19. Sophia Fullbrook, Florida State

  20. Pimpisa Rubrong, Arizona State

  21. Kylie Chung, USC

  22. Katie Li, Duke

  23. Ashley Yun, Northwestern

  24. Pimpisa Sisutham, Central Florida

  25. Emily Odwin, SMU


Watchlist


  1. Isla McDonald O'Brien, Arizona State

  2. Francesca Fiorellini, LSU

  3. Ava Merrill, Vanderbilt

  4. Dianna Lee, Northwestern

  5. Kylee Choi, Pepperdine

  1. Catherine Rao, Oregon

  2. Clarisa Temelo, Arizona

  3. Savannah de Bock, Eastern Michigan

  4. Camille Min-Gaultier, TCU

  5. Thanana Kotchasanmanee, Princeton



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 Movement: 2025-26 Women's College Golf Season Wrap | Megha Ganne, Stanford

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 final start as an amateur—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).



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

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.



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.


 
 

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