PLAYERS to Watch in 2025-26
ROSEMONT, lll. – The Big Ten Conference announced Thursday preseason honors for 54 student-athletes who were included on the Big Ten Women’s Golfers to Watch List.
The Watch List includes 11 golfers who earned All-Big Ten recognition last season, including Big Ten Golfer of the Year and Championship medalist Kiara Romero (Oregon) andNorthwestern’s Ashley Yun and Hsin Tai Lin, who each played important roles in the Wildcats’ 2025 NCAA Championship run.
2025 First Teamers Kary Hollenbaugh (Ohio State), Jasmine Koo (USC), Catherine Park (USC), SuvichayaVinjichaitham (Oregon), eight of the Top-10 finishers from the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Golf Championships, and 16 student athletes who earned Academic All-Big Ten distinction last year rounded out the list.
The 2025-26 golf season teed off last week for the Big Ten, and the league placed five teams in the preseason WGCA Top-25, including four in the Top-15 (No. 2 Oregon, No. 4 USC, No. 10 Northwestern, and No. 15 Ohio State).
This spring, the Big Ten Women’s Golf Championship (April 24-26) will take place at the Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California, while the 2026 NCAA Golf Championship will be hosted for a third consecutive year at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
Big Ten Women’s Golfers to Watch List
| SCHOOL | NAME | CLASS |
| Illinois | Brielle Mapano | Senior |
| Illinois | Anna Ritter | Senior |
| Illinois | Victoria Zheng | Senior |
| Indiana | Madi Dabagia | Senior |
| Indiana | Maddie May | Senior |
| Indiana | Katie Poots | Junior |
| Iowa | Ximena Benites | Junior |
| Iowa | Maura Peters | Junior |
| Iowa | Sunny Wang | Freshman |
| Maryland | Chananyu Chowiwattana | Sophomore |
| Maryland | Surapa Janthamunee | Senior |
| Maryland | Anna Pillard | Sophomore |
| Michigan | Mara Janess | Senior |
| Michigan | Lauren Sung | Senior |
| Michigan | Vanessa Zhang | Freshman |
| Michigan State | Paula Balanzategui | Senior |
| Michigan State | Taylor Kehoe | Senior |
| Michigan State | Ana Sofia Murcia | Junior |
| Minnesota | Isabella McCauley | Senior |
| Minnesota | Reese McCauley | Sophomore |
| Minnesota | Mariana Mesones | Junior |
| Nebraska | Jessica Jolly | Sophomore |
| Nebraska | Hannah Kono | Junior |
| Nebraska | Danica Lundgren | Sophomore |
| Northwestern | Arianna Lau | Freshman |
| Northwestern | Hsin Tai Lin | Sophomore |
| Northwestern | Ashley Yun | Junior |
| Ohio State | Kary Hollenbaugh | Senior |
| Ohio State | Marina Joyce Moreno | Sophomore |
| Ohio State | Nellie Ong | Sophomore |
| Oregon | Kiara Romero | Junior |
| Oregon | Suvichaya Vinijchaitham | Sophomore |
| Oregon | Karen Tsuru | Junior |
| Penn State | Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun | Sophomore |
| Penn State | Audrey Lam | Freshman |
| Penn State | Hannah Rabb | Sophomore |
| Purdue | Samantha Brown | Sophomore |
| Purdue | Lauren Timpf | Sophomore |
| Purdue | Luana Valero | Freshman |
| Rutgers | Grace Lu | Senior |
| Rutgers | Lorena Rossettin | Junior |
| Rutgers | Joline Truong | Sophomore |
| UCLA | Maye Huang | Sophomore |
| UCLA | Angela Liu | Sophomore |
| UCLA | Meghan Royal | Senior |
| USC | Jasmine Koo | Sophomore |
| USC | Elise Lee | Sophomore |
| USC | Catherine Park | Senior |
| Washington | Carmen Lim | Senior |
| Washington | Mads Smith | Junior |
| Washington | Wendy Tang | Sophomore |
| Wisconsin | Kate Brody | Junior |
| Wisconsin | Alexia Siehl | Senior |
| Wisconsin | Izzi Stricker | Sophomore |
