Golf NIL™ fall 2026 No. 1s: Charlie Woods, Kai Trump, Preston Stout, Asterisk Talley
Updated: Sep 25
by Shon Crewe
September 11, 2026
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Preston Stout’s initial position in the Golf NIL™ College Men’s Rankings.
Four names. Five No. 1s. Charlie Woods, Kai Trump, Preston Stout and Asterisk Talley make their third appearance in the Golf NIL™ Valuation Rankings as amateur golf’s most marketable players open 2026-27. Here’s why they start the season on top:
Charlie Woods enters the 2026-27 season leading the Golf NIL High School Boys Rankings for the third straight season, a run that started with a $1.1 million Golf NIL Valuation™. He now sits at $3 million and No. 1 in the Golf NIL™ Top 10. He reached $3 million in February, the same month he committed to Florida State, ranked 21st in AJGA, and gave fans a direct line on Instagram, where he's since passed 184K followers.
He starts this season No. 128 in the AJGA rankings and fresh off a T8 at the Junior Players Championship, his best result of the calendar year. The additional fields he's competed in are their own credential, and they benefit the tournaments as well: U.S. Junior Amateur, Junior PGA Championship, Team TaylorMade Invitational, Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. A senior at the Benjamin School, he'll lead a state title defense this fall.
He signed with Players Group Management in February to manage his partnerships, and last week, made his TaylorMade relationship official. Florida State comes next fall, where he'll join world No. 5 Miles Russell—the two gave a preview of what they pull together in June, when Woods went on Russell's bag at U.S. Open final qualifying.
Charlie Woods at the 2026 Junior PGA Championship | PGA of America
In 2025, Kai Trump arrived on our boards at No. 1 in the Golf NIL High School Girls Rankings and as the only female in the inaugural Golf NIL™ Top 10. Today she lands at No. 1 on the College Women's Rankings and No. 2 in the overall Top 10, with a $2.5 million Golf NIL Valuation (up from $2.25 million). At 9.2 million followers, she's the most-followed player in college sports.
Trump is continuing to flip the script on what NIL opportunities can look like. The Benjamin School graduate enters her freshman year at Miami, competing for a Division I program that opens the season ranked No. 21. Her clothing line is her own product, made for her fans and sold to an audience she can reach directly, without an ad buy. She holds an equity stake in Accelerator Active Energy, where she launched her own signature flavor in June. Both add to her long list of NIL partners, which includes EasyPost and TaylorMade.
Her reach is expansive, living inside golf and extending well beyond it, an edge most amateurs don't have. Last November at the ANNIKA, her LPGA debut turned a tour stop into one of the most-watched events of the season. Weeks into her freshman year, her first two videos about life at Miami have already topped 1.5 million views.
Kai Trump at the 2025 ANNIKA | Sipa USA
Oklahoma State's Preston Stout joined the Golf NIL™ rankings as a sophomore, cracking the top 75 in our College Men's Rankings. Now a senior, he opens the 2026-27 season at No. 1 amongst our College Men and No. 1 in the world, with a $1 million Golf NIL Valuation, up from $800,000.
The Big 12 Player of the Year is coming off a junior season that produced a record five wins, including the NCAA individual and Big 12 titles. From the Palmer Cup to the World Amateur Team Championships and a fourth Walker Cup appearance, he’s become a regular in U.S. team competition.
Three of golf’s four majors are now on Stout’s schedule. His NCAA win earned him an exemption into the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and an invite to the 2027 Masters. The Mark H. McCormack Medal adds next year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the Open Championship at St. Andrews. With six professional starts, including a T15 at the John Deere Classic, he's no stranger to the company. As an amateur, these weeks put him in front of audiences the college game doesn't reach, and up against some of the strongest fields in the sport.
Preston Stout at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock | Dustin Satloff/USGA
Asterisk Talley debuted at No. 4 in the Golf NIL High School Girls Rankings at the start of her sophomore year. Three editions later, she's No. 1.
The Chowchilla High School senior and world No. 5 won the U.S. Women's Amateur in August, earning spots in four of next year's five majors: the U.S. Women's Open, Chevron Championship, Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women's Open. A fourth trip to the Augusta National Women's Amateur awaits in April. She's already competed in seven LPGA events, six of them majors, with a T13 at the LA Championship as her best finish to date.
A member of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team, Talley won the Fortinet Stanford Invitational and Junior Invitational this year and represented the U.S. on the winning Curtis Cup and Junior Solheim Cup teams. She's set to play for the 2026 NCAA champion Stanford next fall.
