Roller ready for challenge of Bandon Dunes in U.S. Women’s Amateur
By Ken MacLeod
For Jenni Roller, winning the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Association State Amateur Championship at Indian Springs Country Club on July 24 was just one episode in a storybook summer that took her from West Africa to the western shores of the United States.
Roller defeated long-time friend Brooklyn Benn of Edmond 3 and 1 in the final shortly after returning from Ghana where she went with a small group of friends on a five-day mission trip. She then went straight to the Colorado Open on the Annika All Pro Tour, a professional event in which she was the only amateur to make the cut.
She concludes play there today, then gets to enjoy the big bonus from winning the state amateur, a spot in the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur, which begins Monday at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.
To say she is excited about the chance to play in golf’s top event for women amateurs would be an understatement. And the rising senior at the University of Tulsa is in a good spot with her game and the love of it and looking forward to matching wits with one of the best links courses on U.S. soil.
Jenni in Africa.“I can’t say I’ve had much experience with links golf but I love getting creative with shots, especially with chipping, and figuring out what the best way to get up and down is,” she said.
Looking back over the month, the Ghana mission trip was an eye-opening venture, seeing the conditions of the locals who make do without running water and many other niceties we take for granted. However, they do all seem to have cell phones.
“They are living in huts with no running water,” Roller said. “They are living in large part off the crops they are cultivating. But they were a super generous and open people. Not a single person turned us away and they were all curious and wanted to talk to us.”
Roller and her friends shared their faith and shared in the fun with the children, who wanted to know all about golf and their lifestyles.
After returning to roll through the WOGA State, Roller immediately turned to two more unique experiences, the pro event which she earned an exemption to through her victory in Veritex Bank Collegiate in April. And, of course, the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
The defending champion is Rianne Malixi of the Philippines and Roller is scheduled to play a practice round with her Sunday morning. Her goal is to make it inside the top 64 through 36 holes of stroke play and earn one of the spots for match play.
“Once you get there, anything can happen,” she said.
Following is much more information on the U.S. Women’s Amateur courtesy of the USGA
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELDÂ
A starting field of 156 players will compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Following two 18-hole rounds at stroke play on Aug. 4-5, the field will be cut to the low 64 players for match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the finalists who then will square off in a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 10.
SCHEDULE OF PLAYÂ
Practice rounds will take place Aug. 2-3, and the championship schedule is as follows:
Aug. 4 (Monday): First round, stroke play
Aug. 5 (Tuesday): Second round, stroke play
Aug. 6 (Wednesday): Round of 64, match play
Aug. 7 (Thursday): Rounds of 32 and 16, match play
Aug. 8 (Friday): Quarterfinal round, match play
Aug. 9 (Saturday): Semifinal round, match play
Aug. 10 (Sunday): 36-hole championship final, match play
2024 CHAMPIONÂ
Filipina standout Rianne Malixi defeated Asterisk Talley, 3 and 2, in the 36-hole championship match at Southern Hills Country Club, in Tulsa, Okla. Just 17 years old at the time, Malixi’s victory added to a remarkable 2024 season that also saw her win the U.S. Girls’ Junior, where she also defeated Talley in the final match. She became just the fourth female to win two USGA titles in the same year, and just the second after Eun Jeong Seong to capture the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior in the same year. She is the ninth player overall to claim multiple USGA titles in the same year. Talley became the first player in USGA history to play in three finals in the same year; she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner Sarah Lim.
Talley held a 1-up lead following the opening 18 holes and extended her lead to 2 up on No. 19. Malixi then flipped the momentum, winning the next four holes to gain a 2-up advantage. After growing her lead to 3 up on the 26th hole, Talley, who shared low-amateur honors in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally, responded by winning three consecutive holes to tie up the match going into the 30th hole. Following a tie on the par-4 30th, Malixi delivered the knockout punch with three consecutive birdies, giving her a decisive 3-up lead. She ultimately secured the title by tying the 34th hole with a par.
BROADCAST COVERAGEÂ
The 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur will receive at least 15 hours of live network coverage. All times CT.
Wednesday, Aug. 6 – 5-8 p.m., Golf Channel
Thursday, Aug. 7 – 5-8 p.m., Golf Channel
Friday, Aug. 8 – 5-8 p.m., Golf Channel
Saturday, Aug. 9 – 2-5p.m., Golf Channel
Sunday, Aug. 10 – 6-9 p.m., Golf Channel
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORYÂ
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the United States Golf Association’s original three championships. It was first conducted in 1895, shortly after the inaugural U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. The Women’s Amateur has been conducted every year since, except 1917-18, when it was suspended due to World War I, and 1942-45, when it was suspended due to World War II.
The most decorated champion is Glenna Collett Vare, a lifelong amateur who won the Robert Cox Trophy a record six times. Second to Vare is JoAnne Gunderson Carner, who won five U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Combined with her two wins in the U.S. Women’s Open and one victory in the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Carner’s eight USGA titles are tied with Jack Nicklaus and eclipsed only by Bob Jones and Tiger Woods, who have each won nine.
U.S. Women’s Amateur champions seem to possess a remarkable facility to repeat. Beatrix Hoyt, Alexa Stirling, Vare, Virginia Van Wie and Juli Inkster have all won the U.S. Women’s Amateur three consecutive times. Another seven champions – Genevieve Hecker, Dorothy Campbell, Margaret Curtis, Betty Jameson, Kay Cockerill, Kelli Kuehne and Danielle Kang – have won two in a row.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur has long identified some of golf’s greatest female players, many of whom have gone on to successful professional careers. Along with the champions listed above, Patty Berg, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Marlene Stewart Streit, Anne Quast Sander, Barbara McIntire, Catherine Lacoste, Carol Semple Thompson, Beth Daniel, Morgan Pressel and Lydia Ko have secured a place in golf history.
WHO’S HERE: A breakdown of the 156 golfers competing in the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
Oldest Competitors: Shelly Stouffer, 55, of Canada; Sarah Gallagher, 51, of Canton, Ga.
Youngest Competitor: Jie-En Lin, 14, of Chinese Taipei
Average Age of Field: 19.9
Field breakdown by age:
Age 14-15: 9
Age 16-19: 69
Age 20-25: 73
Age 26-30: 1
Age 31-40: 2
Age 41-60: 2
U.S. States Represented – There are 35 states represented in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur:
California (25), Texas (15), Florida (5), Michigan (5), Missouri (5), New Jersey (5), Tennessee (5), Ohio (4), Arizona (3), Georgia (3), Illinois (3), Massachusetts (3), North Carolina (3), Oregon (3), Pennsylvania (3), South Carolina (3), Colorado (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (2), Maryland (2), New York (2), Virginia (2), Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (1), Delaware (1), Hawaii (1), Indiana (1), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), New Mexico (1), Oklahoma (1), Utah (1), Washington (1)
International – There are 17 countries represented in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur:
United States of America (118), Canada (10), Australia (3), Chinese Taipei (3), Japan (3), People’s Republic of China (3), Hong Kong, China (2), Mexico (2), Republic of Korea (2), Spain (2), Thailand (2), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), France (1), India (1), Philippines (1), South Africa (1)
USGA Champions (12): Gianna Clemente (2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Aphrodite Deng (2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Kimberly Dinh (2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Sarah Gallagher (2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Sarah Lim (2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Rianne Malixi (2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur), Kiara Romero (2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Shelly Stouffer (2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Asterisk Talley (2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Natalie Yen (2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Asia Young (2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Avery Zweig (2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball)
USGA Runners-up (6): Gianna Clemente (2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Lindsey Gahm (2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Rianne Malixi (2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Shelly Stouffer (2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Asterisk Talley (2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur), Keira Yun (2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball)
Curtis Cup Team Members (7): Anna Davis (USA, 2024), Megha Ganne (USA, 2022), Rachel Heck (USA, 2021, 2022), Jasmine Koo (USA, 2024), Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran (USA, 2021, 2022), Catherine Park (USA, 2024), Asterisk Talley (USA, 2024)
U.S. National Junior Team Members (4): Emerie Schartz, Scarlett Schremmer, Asterisk Talley, Amelie Zalsman
U.S. National Elite Amateur Program Members (6): Gianna Clemente, Anna Davis, Jasmine Koo, Farah O’Keefe, Catherine Park, Kiara Romero
Most U.S. Women’s Amateur Appearances (2025 included): Brooke Seay (8), Megha Ganne (7), Rachel Heck (7), Emilia (Migliaccio) Doran (5)
Top players in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking® as of July 30:
- No. 1 – Kiara Romero
- No. 4 – Maria Jose Marin
- No. 5 – Farah O’Keefe
- No. 7 – Eila Galitsky
- No. 8 – Catherine Park
- No. 9 – Rianne Malixi
- No. 10 – Jasmine Koo
- No. 11 – Megha Ganne
- No. 12 – Soomin Oh
- No. 13 – Anna Davis
- No. 14 – Asterisk Talley
- No. 15 – Carolina Lopez-Chacarra
- No. 17 – Laruen Kim
- No. 19 – Kelly Xu
Colleges with most active players: Texas A&M (6), University of Arkansas (4)
Played in 2025 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally (13): Brooke Biermann (MC), Vanessa Borovilos (MC), Rayee Feng (T51), Kary Hollenbaugh (MC), Katelyn Kong (MC), Sarah Lim (MC), Carolina Lopez-Chacarra (T36), Maria Jose Marin (55), Farah O’Keefe (T36), Rianne Malixi (MC), Kiara Romero (T45), Andie Smith (MC), Asterisk Talley (MC)
WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES:Â
- A gold medal and custody of the Robert Cox Trophy for one year
- Exemption from qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at The Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
- Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Amateurs, if eligible
- Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Girls’ Juniors, if eligible
- Likely invitation to the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur
- Likely exemptions into The Chevron Championship, AIG Women’s Open and Amundi Evian Championship
- Name engraved on 2025 USGA Champions’ plaque that will reside in the USGA Museum’s Hall of Champions in Liberty Corner, N.J.
USGA AND BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORTÂ
This will be the ninth USGA championship held at Bandon Dunes. The 2006 Curtis Cup, won by the United States of America was the first to be held here. Most recently, Bandon Dunes hosted the 2022 Junior Amateur, won by Wenyi Ding.
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT BANDON DUNESÂ
2006 Curtis Cup (USA)
2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur (Trip Keuhne)
2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links (Corbin Mills)
2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (Brianna Do)
2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (Mika Liu and Rinko Mitsunaga)
2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (Scott Harvey and Todd Mitchell)
2020 U.S. Amateur (Tyler Strafaci)
2022 U.S. Junior Amateur (Wenyi Ding)
FUTURE USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT BANDON DUNESÂ
2028 Walker Cup
2032 U.S. Amateur
2032 U.S. Women’s Amateur
2035 U.S. Girls’ Junior
2037 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
2037 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball
2041 U.S. Amateur
2041 U.S. Women’s Amateur
2045 U.S. Junior Amateur
2045 U.S. Girls’ Junior
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN OREGONÂ
The 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be the 41st USGA championship and seventh U.S. Women’s Amateur contested in the state of Oregon. The most recent USGA championship held in Oregon was the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, won by Trish Johnson.
U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEURS IN ORGEONÂ
1952: Waverley Country Club, Portland (Jacqueline Pung)
1981: Waverley Country Club., Portland (Juli Simpson Inkster)
2000: Waverley Country Club, Portland (Marcy Newton)
2006: Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, North Plains (Kimberly Kim)
2008: Eugene Country Club, Eugene (Amanda Blumenherst)
2015: Portland Golf Club, Portland (Hannah O’Sullivan)
Highlights from WOGA State Amateur. Photos by Bill Powell.
