Kiara Romero, the top-ranked amateur in the world, can officially become a member of the LPGA Tour, realizing a childhood dream.
The 20-year-old rising senior at Oregon won the McCormack Medal, awarded by the USGA and R&A to the best amateur female golfer, for a second straight year on Wednesday morning.
“I feel like these past few years have been so amazing with my golf game, and I’m just really proud of the way my hard work is paying off,” Romero said. “I feel like it’s such a competitive area with amateur golf right now and to be able to get it two years in a row is special.”
The award has extra significance this year because it earned the final point that Romero needed to earn the 20 required through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program to secure her LPGA Tour card.
“It’s always been my dream ever since I was a little girl to play on the LPGA Tour,” Romero said. “I feel like it’s not hitting me yet, that I have my tour card available right now, and I got it at 20 years old. When I was little, it’s something I always dreamed of and kind of to realize it’s happening now, I have to take a step back and realize how grateful I am to be in this position.”
Romero can turn professional now or wait until next year. She has one year left at Oregon to finish her degree in general social science with a concentration in economics. She said she’ll finish her degree at some point, no matter if she turns pro now or later.
She said she has not yet decided on her timing.
“It’s such a great opportunity that we have right now with the LEAP program and, I’m just really grateful that they have provided us with this and be rewarded for great play on the amateur side,” Romero said. “I’m just really happy and grateful to be able to have that opportunity. I’m working with my team right now to see what the next steps are.”
The San Jose native becomes the second player to earn her LPGA card through LEAP. Florida State star Lottie Woad—now the fifth-ranked player in the world—got her card last year, then won her professional debut at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open when she was 21.
Whenever Romero decides to turn pro, she’ll have her brother, Kyreece, on her bag, and he’s caddied for her plenty. The 22-year-old Kyreece played golf at Oregon, too. All three siblings have Oregon ties as Kaleiya (who played at Pepperdine) was a graduate assistant at Oregon.
Kaleiya, 24, is about to earn her LPGA card through the Epson Tour’s Race for the Card, as she’s second in the standings (she won the Island Resort Championship) with just five events left. This week, Kaleiya will play in the LPGA’s Standard Portland Classic on an exemption, and her younger sister will attend to watch her.
Kiara Romero is the first three-time first-team All-American in Ducks program history and holds the record for most individual titles with six. Before college, she captured the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior title.
She has experience playing with her future peers by playing in four majors this season. And while Romero missed three cuts, she had a fantastic performance in the U.S. Women’s Open, where she finished T-6 and was the low amateur at Riviera Country Club in her home state.
“I feel like it was probably my favorite tournament I’ve played in the past five years,” Romero said. “My whole family was out there. My brother was caddying and it was something we’ve always dreamed of when we were little, just being on tour together and playing the game that we love together.
“We grew up playing every day together and just my siblings are the reason why I started playing golf. I was the youngest out of the three, so it was my way of just trying to hang out with them.”
And that has turned into quite a career already.
Next week, Romero will play in next week’s CPKC Women’s Open in Canada, then she’ll have a big decision to make.
“It’s definitely something I’m thinking about,” Romero said.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
