Five Things: State of Amateurism and the Next American Star

Former LPGA caddie and Fried Egg Golf contributor Matthew Galloway riffs on the five things he's thinking about this week in golf.

‍Amateurism

Seeing some of the players in last week’s U.S. Amateur at Merion covered in enough sponsorship logos to make a Korn Ferry Tour player jealous puts the modern-day concept of amateurism to question. Playing a travel-heavy summer amateur schedule is not a cheap endeavor, and it’s not like every single amateur in the field was making boatloads of cash, but the Wild West of Name, Image, and Likeness in college athletics has slowly bled into the golf world. Amateurism in golf as a whole is stretching at both ends as the young college crop looks more and more like professional golfers while Mid-Ams continue to be infiltrated by former pros. A true era shift is happening in the amateur game, and it’s time for governing bodies like the USGA to sit down and adjust the guardrails to better fit the new landscape of amateur golf.

Merion East

My Fried Egg Golf colleague Garrett Morrison put out a fantastic video on the 18th hole at Merion Golf Club's East Course last weekend addressing some criticism of the hole that arose throughout the U.S. Am. I suggest you give it a watch. 

One of my own Merion observations was how many wedges players were hitting to greens. While I did enjoy seeing players strategically lay back to varying yardages on the shorter holes depending on pin locations, even with some effort of a rollback, I don't see much changing at Merion the next time we see it at the 2030 U.S. Open. What will be interesting come 2030 is how the USGA approaches the golf course setup. Will the fairways get even tighter with higher rough? A big takeaway from Garrett’s video was the fairways. One potential (very different) approach would be to leave the fairway cut at a much higher length, which wouldn’t allow balls to bound down fairways and would leave some tricky, uneven lies. Merion proved to be a fantastic amateur championship venue in match play, but will that translate to 72 holes of major championship stroke play in a few years? 

Next American Star? 

One story that quietly flew under the radar amid the U.S. Am and start of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs was Kiara Romero winning her second consecutive McCormack Medal as the world’s top women's amateur. This earned Romero her 20th LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) point, allowing her to turn professional and take up LPGA membership. The former Oregon standout will make her professional debut this week at the CPKC Women's Open, and is now eligible for the U.S. Solheim Cup team — more on that in a minute. 

For those in women's golf circles, Kiara is no secret. A three-time First Team All-American in college and the most decorated player in Oregon history, Romero hit the mainstream this summer with a T-6 finish for low-amateur honors at the U.S. Women’s Open. She likely won’t be the only Romero on the LPGA next season, either, as her older sister, Kaleiya, will likely earn a card via the Epson Tour. 

Kiara is the second player to earn an LPGA card through the new LEAP program after Lottie Woad became the first in 2025. LEAP follows in the same vein as PGA Tour University, the accelerated program that incentivizes high-level college and amateur performances, with favorability towards the American college golf pathway most young girls choose to pursue. LEAP’s success in identifying the top amateur players does leave me wondering why there isn't an LPGA talent development pathway for Asia-based players. 

I’m bullish on Kiara at the next level. Her golf swing is one of my favorites to watch from a technical and tempo combo. I won't profess bold claims of major wins, but I do expect her to become a top American player sooner rather than later. Kiara turning pro leads a promising young crop of American amateur prospects who we will likely see on the LPGA in the near future, with Farah O'keefe and Asterisk Talley next up in the coming years. The future of American women's golf is showing some promise.

U.S. Solheim Cup Team

This week’s CPKC Women’s Open marks the final event for American players to earn U.S. Solheim Cup points and make their final statement to captain Angela Stanford, who will make her three captain’s selections on Monday, August 24. The top seven in the standings automatically qualify after this week, as do the two highest-ranked players in the world ranking who aren’t already on the team. 

Andrea Lee could technically catch Allisen Corpuz with a win this week, but those two would just be trading spots as Corpuz would qualify via her world ranking. There is some opportunity for movement in the last world ranking spot with Lee’s narrow lead over Lindy Duncan and Jenny Bae. Personally, I think Lee, regardless of what happens this week, will be on the team even if it comes through as a captain’s pick. That leaves two, maybe three spots open for those on the outside looking in:

Rose Zhang: She went 4-0-0 in 2024, but that was two years ago, and she's not the same Rose today. Her game has slipped slightly and withdrawing from the CPKC due to a random back flare-up isn't helping her case. If none of the players on the outside show any form this week, I wouldn't be surprised if she’s still a pick. Just make sure she’s in a lay-flat seat on the plane ride to the Netherlands. 

Megan Khang: The four-time Solheim Cup veteran is great in the team room for vibes. She’s just missing the golf portion lately. I don't know if Stanford is going to go with resume alone here. She’s a 50/50 pick for me.

Lindy Duncan: Her breakout 2025 is holding her up in the rankings. While the golf has been steady, no great finishes all year might have her one spot out at the end. Looking like alternate potential. 

Lucy Li: Her top 20 at the AIG Women’s Open has been the only sign of life since the U.S. Women’s Open. It might give her a slight edge over the others, but I have a feeling she’s going to be an alternate. 

Lexi Thompson: Really Matthew? We're not going to do this, are we? No, no we’re not. 

Jenny Bae: Up and down golf all year isn’t enough to get a rookie on the team unless something special happens this week. She's out for me. 

The last wrinkle to the U.S. team is Angel Yin, who withdrew from the KPMG Women’s PGA with an undisclosed injury and hasn't played since. From what I understand of the situation, I don't think it’s a massive physical injury, and there's some potential you will see her playing. Angel is looking to play next week’s FM Championship to evaluate her game and health. Her uncertainty makes the alternate selection all the more important if she’s unable to play. I’d also love to see Kiara Romero do something crazy this week in Canada and give Stanford a reason to go off script and take a first-week LPGA rookie on the team to make a splash.

Double-Digit Jeeno

Jeeno Thitikul ripped off her 10th career LPGA win last week at the Standard Portland Classic with a runaway Sunday 64 to steal a one-shot win. Vintage Jeeno stuff that we’ve come accustomed to seeing in regular LPGA track meets. The world No. 2 is pushing a staggering $20 million in career earnings in a short five years on the LPGA. It’s still absolutely insane she hasn't won a major with the ease at which she plays during normal tournament weeks. Watching Jeeno last week in Portland also confirms my thoughts on the LPGA schedule. Finishing all the LPGA majors so early in the season and only having the Solheim Cup as the last remaining big event on the schedule for the rest of the year feels empty. I know LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler is working on a better-flowing schedule, but that will likely take a few years to complete. We have already seen some Easter eggs in traditional events moving to different slots on the calendar, like the Dow Championship. Maybe the dead fall gap can prove to be the experimental proving ground for the LPGA with different formats, courses, and setups. I would love to see a “no bad ideas” approach to some of these.