U.S. Girls' Junior Championship
The USGA's national championship for girls, at Old Chatham in 2026
The story
The U.S. Girls' Junior is the national championship for girls in American golf, conducted by the USGA since 1949. Its alumni populate the top of the LPGA Tour. Lexi Thompson won it in 2008 at age 13 before turning professional and becoming a major champion. The event's roll of champions and competitors is a preview of women's professional golf a decade out. Like the boys' championship, the format is two rounds of stroke play followed by match play. A field of 156 is cut to a 64-player bracket, and the champion has to survive a week of head-to-head golf capped by a 36-hole final. That match-play crucible is exactly why coaches value results here so highly. Stroke-play scoring can be smoothed out over a season, but the ability to close out an opponent on the 17th green is a skill that shows up nowhere else in the junior schedule. The 2026 championship is set for Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina, from July 13 to 18, the club's first time hosting the event. Eligibility is open to female amateurs who have not reached their 19th birthday, and entry is earned through USGA sectional qualifying. For a recruit, a strong week at the Girls' Junior in the heart of North Carolina's college-golf country is as visible as junior golf gets.
The venue
A modern North Carolina championship club hosting the U.S. Girls' Junior for the first time. Old Chatham offers the length, conditioning, and green complexes the USGA looks for, and its Research Triangle location puts the 2026 championship in one of the strongest college-golf corridors in the country.
Course setup: Old Chatham is a modern championship layout that the USGA will set up firm and demanding, with the length and green complexes to identify a true national champion. Expect a premium on ball-striking and distance control into the greens. The mid-July North Carolina heat adds a stamina element over a potential six-match week.
Format
The 77th U.S. Girls' Junior runs July 13-18, 2026. A field of 156 plays two rounds of stroke play on July 13 and 14, after which the low 64 advance to match play. The bracket builds to a 36-hole championship match on Saturday July 18.
Cut: Yes
Field
156 players · Sectional qualifying plus exemptions
Qualifiers from sectional sites nationwide
Coach verdict
Women's college coaches treat the U.S. Girls' Junior as the most important recruiting week of the summer. The match-play format shows coaches how a player competes under the brightest lights junior golf offers, and results here carry weight in every scholarship conversation.
Best for: For elite girls 15-18, plus the top 13-14 year olds who have qualified. Eligibility runs to age 18. This is the summit of girls' junior golf, so it suits players with a proven sectional-qualifying and national-ranking record.
College scouting: Every level, national
Competitive insight
For a girls' recruit, this is the highest-leverage week of the year. Match play under USGA conditions is the truest test a coach can watch, and a run to the quarterfinals or beyond can move a player up entire recruiting boards. The stroke-play cut to 64 is unforgiving, so a player needs both the qualifying result to get in and the two clean rounds to reach the bracket.
Application tip
Entry is through USGA sectional qualifying, not an application, with exemptions for top-ranked players. Enter qualifying the moment the USGA opens registration and choose a sectional site with enough spots to give a realistic path into the field.
What makes it different
Notable alumni
Is it worth the travel?
high valueFor any girl who qualifies, this trip is essential. The national title, the USGA exposure, and the Research Triangle college-golf setting make it the highest-value week on the calendar. Durham is well served by the Raleigh-Durham airport.