Inside the Field: 11th U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball

WHO’S HERE: A breakdown of the 128 players who make up the 64 sides in the 11th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship:

Youngest Competitor: Iris Lee (13 years, 4 months, and 20 days old)
Oldest Competitor: Ellen Port (64 years, 7 months, and 11 days old)
Average age of field: 20.6 years
Most represented age: 18 years old (21 players)

Field breakdown by age:
Aged 13 and under: 1
Aged 14-15: 10
Aged 16-19: 62
Aged 20-25: 43
Aged 26-30: 4
Aged 31-40: 5
Aged 41-59: 2
Aged 60 plus: 1

Youngest Sides (combined ages): 28, Aubrey Lee (14) and Annie Chi (14); 30; Alexandra Snyder (15) and Grace Carter (15); 30, Maya Palanza Gaudin (16) and Alexandra Phung (14); 31, Annika Raja (15) and Mingyang (Sabrina) Sun (16); 31, Taylor Snively (16) and Ressie Lemmon (15); 31, Niuniu Zhao (15) and Cienna Lee (16); 31, Iris Lee (13) and Hannah Hall (18)

Oldest Sides (combined ages): 123, Ellen Port (64) and Lara Tennant (59); 80, Shannon Johnson (43) and Megan Buck (37); 71, Colleen Shepard (37) and Alisa White (34); 62, Kimberly Dinh (33) and Mary Janiga Kartes (29)

Largest Age Difference (team members): 7 years, Elle Nachmann (22) and Juno Taino (15); 6 years, Shannon Johnson (43)and Megan Buck (37); 6 years, Eleanor Burnette (21) and Ella Spence (15)

U.S. States: There are 27 states represented in the field: California (21), Florida (14), Texas (12), Virginia (6), North Carolina (6), Pennsylvania (6), Colorado (5), Georgia (5), Illinois (4), New York (4), Ohio (4), Tennessee (4), Kentucky (4), Massachusetts (3), Hawaii (2), Indiana (2), Kansas (2), Michigan (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (2), New Jersey (2), Washington (2), Arizona (1), Arkansas (1), Idaho (1), Louisiana (1), and Oregon (1).

International: There are seven countries represented in the field: United States of America (119), Mexico (3), Canada (2), Australia (1), Austria (1), People’s Republic of China (1), Colombia (1)

USGA Champions (6): Savannah Barber (2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Kimberly Dinh (2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Shannon Johnson (2018 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Ellen Port (1995, 1996, 2000, 2011 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur; 2012, 2013, 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Alexa Saldana (2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Lara Tennant (2018, 2019, 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur)

USGA Runners-Up: Shannon Johnson (2016 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur), Ellen Port (2002 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur; 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Athena Singh (2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Kiera Yun (2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball)

Sisters in the field (3): Kate and Meg Tilma, Kayley and Kate Roberts, Valentina and Angelina Marie Guertin

Current and Former College Teammates (19): Clare Yeawell/Addison Kartusch, Bowling Green; Meghan Paracuelles/Nicole Tanoue, Cal State Northridge; Katelyn Lehigh/Amelia Garibaldi, Fresno State; Claudia Hofmeister/Isabella Wiley, Morehead State; Marlene Moncada/Kaylee Chen, New Mexico State; Mary Grace Dunigan/Marissa Malosh, University of Delaware; Olivia Deakins/Madison Le, University of Minnesota; Mason Lewis/Mallorie Luitweiler, University of North Texas; Bridget O'Keefe/Julia Shin, University of Pennsylvania; Mary Miller/Sophie Linder, Ole Miss; Anna Swan/Jayla Kucy, Oral Roberts; Samantha Galantini/Natalie Spiska, Quinnipiac University; Lilly Hall/Morgan Mussatt, Randolph-Macon College; Chloe Lam/Alexa Pineda, Santa Clara; Jude Lee/Nikki Oh, Stanford University (fall of 2026); Valentina Zuleta/Chloe Jang, Utah Valley; Mary Grace Dunigan/Marissa Malosh, University of Delaware; Leah Edwards/Reagan Ramage, Western Kentucky; Mia Sessa/Ashley Yen, Yale University.

Most U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Appearances (2026 included): Alexa Saldana (7), Savannah Barber (6), Elle Nachmann (6)
 
Sides Who Played in 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (13): Savannah Barber/Alexa Saldana, Megan Buck/Shannon Johnson, Savannah Cherry/Lauren Slatton, Lisa Copeland/Martha Kuwahara, Haley Davis/Katelyn Huber, Kathryn DeLoach/Elizabeth Sullivan, Kimberly Dinh/Mary Janiga Kartes, Bella Dovhey/Sophia Dyer, Amelia Garibaldi/Katelyn Lehigh, Carly Marshall/Ava Osborne, Mia Sessa/Ashley Yen, Athena Singh/Keira Yun, Meg Tilma/Kate Tilma

Played in 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur (8): Kimberly Dinh, Emily Holzopfel, Ashley Kozlowski, Katelyn Lehigh, Ava Osborne, Alexa Pineda, Mingyang (Sabrina) Sun, Keira Yun

Played in 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (4): Kimberly Dinh, Shannon Johnson, Colleen Shepard, Lara Tennant

Played in 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior (14): Grace Carter (semifinalist), Lucy Cook, Leah Edwards, Katelyn Huber, Iris Lee, Jude Lee, Sophia Lee, Cece Lewis, Nikki Oh, Ava Osborne, Reagan Ramage, Kayley Roberts, Athena Singh, Eliza Yelverton

U.S. National Junior Team Players (3): Grace Carter, Jude Lee, Nikki Oh

Players on their USNDP State Team (11): Addison Dorsey (Colorado), Fay Jia (Southern California), Sophia Lee (Colorado), Madalynn Lee (Northern California), Kuree Little (Southern California), Alexandra Phung (New York), Kayley Roberts (Pennsylvania), Ella Spence (North Carolina), Juno Taino (North Carolina), Emma Wang (Northern California), Alyssa Zhang (Pennsylvania)

U.S. National Development Grant Recipients (1): Jude Lee

Past Curtis Cup Players (1): Ellen Port  

Notes on Select Sides:

Ellen Port, 64, St. Louis, Mo. and Lara Tennant, 59, Portland, Ore.

After receiving this year’s Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor, Ellen Port looks to add an eighth USGA title to her illustrious resume as she competes in her 79th USGA championship. She holds a record-tying four U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles (with Meghan Stasi), along with three U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur championships. Her seven career USGA championships place her among the most decorated champions in Association history, behind only Bob Jones (9), Tiger Woods (9), Jack Nicklaus (8) and JoAnne Carner (8). Port also represented the USA on the 1994 and 1996 Curtis Cup Teams and later captained the victorious 2014 USA side in her hometown at St. Louis Country Club. Alongside Port is three-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Lara Tennant, who in 2021 became the first player since World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Carol Semple Thompson to win three consecutive Senior Women’s Amateur titles. Last year, Tennant advanced to match play at both the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and finished inside the top 20 at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. This will be the duo’s second appearance in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball and first since 2021.

Colleen Shepard, 37, Charlotte, N.C. and Alisa White, 34, Southern Pines, N.C.

Shepard and White are both USGA employees with years of competitive golf experience. Shepard, an inside sales representative for the USGA’s Green Section, is an East Carolina University graduate and women’s golf alumna who has qualified for four U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships (the most recent in 2025). White, who serves as an assistant director of U.S. Open Championship Operations, began her college golf career at West Texas A&M before transferring to Sam Houston State, where she won Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year as well as conference first-team honors. Since graduating, she has competed in four USGA Championships, the most recent being the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. Shepard and White will be the first pair of USGA employees to compete in either of the USGA’s Four-Ball championships.

Jude Lee, 18, Walnut, Calif. and Nikki Oh, 18, Torrance, Calif.

Lee and Oh, two of the finest juniors in the country and members of the U.S. National Junior Team, are set to be future teammates at Stanford University when they enroll this fall. Oh, whose father, Ted, qualified for the 1993 U.S. Open as a 16-year-old and is now a teaching pro, has multiple wins under her belt, including the 2025 Rolex Tournament of Champions and the 2024 Arizona Women’s Amateur Championship. Lee, a Southern California native, qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills after firing a 3-under 141 during her 36-hole qualifier. Oh has been a member of the USNJT for three years, while Lee has been on the roster for two. The 2026 U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championship will be the duo’s first time competing as teammates outside of the USNDP stage.

Alexandra Phung, 14, New York, N.Y. and Maya Palanza Gaudin, 16, East Falmouth, Mass.

In 2025, Phung captured her second Drive, Chip & Putt title, becoming only the fourth player to win multiple National Championships. She also advanced to match play at the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior. Palanza Gaudin was born in Ethiopia and later adopted by American parents, who introduced her to the game. She was raised in the United Arab Emirates as her adopted father was assigned to work in the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Gaudin has won junior tournaments all over the globe, including Saudi Arabia, India and Scotland. Gaudin and Phung initially met during the 2023 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship on their way to capturing titles in their respective age divisions.

Athena Singh, 17, Morehead, Ky. and Kiera Yun, 17, Lexington, Ky.

Singh and Yun enter the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball as the highest-finishing returning side from last year’s championship at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, in Nichols Hills, Okla. The duo lost in the 18-hole final to current Texas A&M freshman Natalie Yen and high school junior Asia Young, 5 and 3. Singh holds three career victories, including the 2025 Kentucky Girls’ Junior Championship. She also advanced to match play in the last two U.S. Girls’ Juniors. Yun holds three top 5 finishes in American Junior Golf Association events and finished in third in the 2025 Kentucky Girls’ Junior Championship. The pair has competed in events together since age 11, and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball will mark their second championship appearance together.

Elle Nachmann, 22, Boca Raton, Fla. and Juna Taino, 15, Studio City, Calif.

Nachmann is no stranger to USGA championships. The 22-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate is an 11-time qualifier and six-time Florida State Golf Association champion. The 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball will mark Nachmann’s sixth appearance in the championship; Taino will be her fifth different partner. She competed with fellow Floridian Kendall Griffin in 2022 and 2023, when the duo advanced to the quarterfinals and Round of 32, respectively. This year, Nachmann, who works at Goldman Sachs in New York City, teams with Taino, a 15-year-old from Studio City, Calif., who owns several podium finishes on the AJGA circuit. Most recently, Taino finished runner-up in the Visit Goldsboro NC Junior Championship in April.

Fay Jia, 16, Murietta, Calif. and Kuree Little, 17, Palmdale, Calif.

Jia returns to the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball following a semifinal run in the 2025 championship alongside partner Cherry Zhang. The duo defeated sisters Chloe and Faith Johnson in the quarterfinals before falling to the eventual champions, Natalie Yen and Asia Young. Jia captured her second AJGA title at the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship in March. In 2025, she finished runner-up at the California Junior Championship and recorded top five finishes in both the Nike Junior Invitational and California Women’s Amateur Championship. Little won the 2025 Southern California Junior Amateur Championship and finished inside the top 10 in the 2026 Fortinet Invitational at Stanford and the Arizona Silver Belle Championship.

Sabrina Coffman, 28, Toledo, Ohio and Emily Holzopfel, 24, Rayland, Ohio

The two Ohio natives are teaming up in the championship for the first time. Coffman spent seven collegiate seasons at Cleveland State and Saginaw Valley State, where she earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. Following her college career, Coffman advanced to the Round of 64 in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at Brae Burn Country Club, in West Newton, Mass., after earning the No. 2 seed in stroke play. She now works as an application engineer at GenomOncology. Holzopfel, who played at Wheeling (W. Va.) University, is now an assistant women’s golf coach at Fairmont State in West Virginia. She qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes. Holzopfel also won both the 2025 WPGA Women’s Amateur and WPGA Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner, 28, Australia and Ashley Kozlowski, 23, Littleton, Colo.

Hodgkins-Redner and Kozlowski are teaming up for the first time in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball. Hodgkins-Redner, who grew up in Australia, moved to Colorado in 2016 after accepting a golf scholarship to the University of Colorado. Following a successful collegiate career, she has continued to find success on the Colorado Golf Association circuit, earning CGA Women’s Player of the Year honors in 2020 after winning the CGA Women’s Match Play and advancing to match play in her first U.S. Women’s Amateur. Five years later, she added another title to her résumé, the CGA Women’s Mid-Amateur, and qualified for another U.S. Women’s Amateur. Kozlowski, an aerospace engineer for Boeing, played collegiately at Purdue University. After graduation, she won the 2024 CGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship and competed in back-to-back U.S. Women’s Amateurs.

Savannah Barber, 22, Fort Worth, Texas and Alexa Saldana, 22, Mexico

Barber and Saldana, who were roommates during their time at the Crown Golf Academy, in Arlington, Texas, captured the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball title at Maridoe Golf Club, in Carrollton, Texas, and are the only past champions in the field. Barber is currently completing her senior season at the University of Oklahoma; Saldana is a senior at the University of Houston. In 2025, Barber competed in the R&A Women’s Amateur Championship, Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and Women’s Western Amateur. Saldana represented her country in the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship in Malaysia.

Kimberly Dinh, 32, Midland, Mich. and Mary Janiga Kartes, 28, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dinh, one of six UGSA champions in the field, works as an associate research scientist at Dow Chemical. She played at the University of Wisconsin and earned her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2020. Three years after graduation, the lefty returned to the Bay State to capture the 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at Brae Burn Country Club, in West Newton.  She won six of the last seven holes in the 18-hole final to beat past champion Kelsey Chugg. Dinh’s victory earned her an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open. Since then, she has made match play in the last two U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs. Kartes, a LPGA Tour representative for Callaway who played college golf at Mercer University, advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the Round of 16 in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.