Four of Australia’s leading amateur golfers are set to begin their US college journeys, with the NCAA fall season getting underway next week.
South Australia’s Raegan Denton, Victoria’s Amelia Harris, Queensland’s Chase Oberle and Victoria’s Hamish Farquharson will spread across the United States as they embark on the next chapter of their golfing careers.
Golf Australia recognises the US collegiate system as a genuine alternative to the national High Performance program, giving athletes access to world-class competition, facilities and coaching while supporting their academic and sporting development.
For athletes on the national High Performance pathway, Golf Australia provides structured and personalised support throughout their time in the NCAA system, spanning performance, wellbeing and long-term development, with High Performance staff based in the US.
Golf Australia also works closely with the universities hosting Australian athletes, collaborating with college coaches and support staff to ensure each athlete has the right support around them throughout their time in the system.
“Supporting our athletes through the US college system is an important part of Golf Australia’s High Performance pathway, and we want to ensure those who take that opportunity have the support they need to continue developing,” Golf Australia High Performance Pathways Director Jamie Bahnisch said.
“Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Harry Takis are prime examples of what Australian athletes can achieve through the US college system with the right support around them.
“Maddison had an outstanding college career at Oklahoma State University, becoming one of the most successful players in the program’s history before making the transition to professional golf and now competing on the Ladies European Tour.
“Harry has continued to progress at San Diego State University, currently ranked inside the world’s top 20 amateurs and having been named a 2026 NCAA Division 1 First Team All-American.
“We continue to support our athletes throughout their college careers, ensuring they remain connected to Golf Australia and the national High Performance pathway while pursuing their individual development.”
Raegan Denton – Louisiana State University
Currently ranked 47th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), with a career-best ranking of 36th, Denton joins Louisiana State University following a standout 2026 season.
The 19-year-old South Australian was named to The Golf Channel’s preseason Third Team All-American and First Team All-Freshman teams, underlining the expectations surrounding her arrival in Baton Rouge.
Denton opened 2026 with victory at the Australian Master of the Amateurs in January before making the most of an invitation to the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship in April, where she finished tied for fourth.
She followed that performance with a tied-sixth finish at The Nelly Invitational before claiming the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur Championship in July.
Her rise through the Australian amateur ranks began in Coffin Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, where Denton grew up before moving to Adelaide.
She first made her mark with victory at the 2023 South Australia Junior Amateur Championship before announcing herself nationally by winning the 2025 Australian Girls Amateur Championship.
Denton also made her Australian Open debut in March this year, producing a memorable hole-in-one along the way.
Now Australia’s second-highest ranked women’s amateur, Denton joins the LSU Tigers, one of the leading programs in NCAA women’s golf, in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC).
LSU begins its quest for a seventh consecutive NCAA Championship tournament appearance on Monday, September 7, when the Tigers tee off at the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Club in South Carolina.
Amelia Harris – University of South Carolina
Like Denton, Harris was named to The Golf Channel’s preseason First Team All-Freshman team ahead of her move to NCAA Division 1 powerhouse the University of South Carolina.
The 18-year-old Victorian has enjoyed a remarkable 2026, beginning the year with her first professional victory as a 17-year-old amateur at the final Women’s NSW Open regional qualifying event in February.
Two months later, she produced another standout performance, overcoming a four-shot final-round deficit to win the Australian Girls Amateur Championship.
The victory completed a three-event winning streak, following earlier triumphs at the Rene Erichsen Salver and Keperra Bowl.
Harris also became a three-time Australian Interstate Teams Matches champion, helping Victoria to titles in 2022, 2024 and 2026.
She announced herself on the international stage in July at the US Girls Junior Championship, opening with a historic nine-under 63 to lead the tournament.
Her opening-round nine-hole score of 28 is the lowest known nine-hole score in a women’s USGA championship, although her campaign eventually ended in the Round of 32.
Having first picked up a club through MyGolf clinics in Cairns before continuing her development after moving to Melbourne, Harris will now join the USC Gamecocks, who won the SEC Women’s Championship in 2025.
South Carolina begins its new season on Monday at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate at Royal Golf Club in Minnesota.
Chase Oberle – University of Notre Dame
One of Australia’s leading male amateurs in recent years, Oberle will begin the next chapter of his career at the University of Notre Dame.
The 18-year-old Queenslander broke through in 2024, winning five WAGR events, including the South Australia Junior Masters, Queensland Junior Amateur, Gary Player Classic, Victoria Junior Open and Greg Norman Junior Masters.
He continued his rise in 2025, successfully defending his Queensland Junior Amateur title before representing Australia at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Dubai as the youngest member of the Australian team.
Oberle also won the Keperra Bowl in 2025 and successfully defended the title in 2026.
Following a series of prestigious events across the UK, Oberle will begin his NCAA Division 1 career in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame opens its season on Monday at the Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Hamish Farquharson – University of Washington
Farquharson will begin his US college journey at the University of Washington, joining the Huskies for their NCAA Division 1 campaign in the Big Ten Conference.
The 18-year-old Victorian has been among Australia’s leading amateurs for several years, with his performances at the Australian Amateur Championship providing a consistent measure of his ability at the highest level.
Farquharson finished tied seventh on his Australian Amateur debut in 2024 before going agonisingly close the following year, finishing runner-up to Jye Halls in 2025. He backed that up with another top-10 finish this year, recording a tied-10th result.
His 2025 season was particularly strong, highlighted by victories at both the Port Phillip Open and Victorian Amateur, alongside runner-up finishes at the Australian Amateur and Riversdale Cup and top-three results at the Australian Boys Amateur and Queensland Junior Amateur.
Following a series of events across the UK and US, Farquharson will make his NCAA Division 1 debut on Saturday, September 12, when Washington competes at the Sahalee Players Championship at Sahalee Country Club.
