LPGA players are the ultimate inspiration for generations of girl golfers, so it’s only fitting that the tour’s fourth major of the season, The Amundi Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France, is set during the same week as a tournament that has come to define the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program. The LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Championship presented by Marie Birdie is a global competition in its own right, hosting 141 future stars of the game at historic Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., from July 6-9, 2026.

This is the third edition of the Girls Golf Championship, and it will once again feature three divisions – Discovery, Futures National and Bell National. All players are active members of an LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program and qualified for the event via Tradition Qualifiers, Girls Golf Showcases, exemptions or application. These players will have the esteemed privilege of teeing it up at Pine Needles, a course rich in golf history that has most notably hosted four U.S. Women’s Opens.

The Girls Golf Championship reflects the global nature of the program as there are 16 international countries represented in the 2026 edition of the tournament, including Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, England, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and South Korea. The United States is certainly well represented this week as well with players from 25 states descending upon Pine Needles. Additionally, 14 players have already committed to college while other players in the field will seek to use this opportunity to showcase their game in order to land a potential scholarship.

Speaking of players to watch, here are some names to keep an eye on at the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Championship presented by Marie Birdie.

Bell National Division

Riley Grimm of Pinehurst, N.C., enters the week as the two-time reigning champion in the Bell National Division. She has become a local favorite amongst those in the Pinehurst community and has certainly come into her own as a player, recently breaking into the top-100 of the Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings where she currently sits at No. 87. Grimm also sits at No. 85 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings thanks to top finishes including a T2 at the Will Lowery Junior Championship presented by Jordan Golf in April and a fifth-place finish at The Lanto Junior Championship in early June.

Maria Isabella Errichetto of Southern Pines, N.C., is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 56 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings. She won the 2025 PKBGT Tour Championship at Pine Needles, so she will definitely be leaning on that experience as she seeks to dethrone Grimm in the Bell National Division. Errichetto has also made waves nationally as she won the AJGA Junior at Indiana in April and recently finished T3 at the 99th Women’s Western Junior Championship. She is No. 31 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.

Ella June Hannant of Pikeville, N.C., is another local player with a national level game. She is one of the most dominant players on the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour and proved that with her victory at the 2025 PKBGT Invitational, which is a top-25 junior girls tournament and the highest-ranked event on the PKBGT schedule. She has maintained that solid play into 2026 with strong finishes in AJGA tournaments including T3 at the Visit Goldsboro NC Junior Championship and T6 at the Scott Robertson Memorial.

Madelyn Dickerson of Debary, Fla., also finds herself in the Bell National Division for the first time. She has been a mainstay at this championship since the inaugural tournament in 2024 where she won the Discovery Division. The Florida native then moved up to the Futures National Division last year before taking the final step into Bell National this year. Dickerson is no stranger to the national stage, having reached the 2024 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals where won the chipping portion of the event en route to a T4 overall finish.

Futures National Division

Olivia Barnes of St. Johns, Fla., is back at Pine Needles but in a new division. The 2033 grad won the Discovery Division in 2025 but is looking to see how her game stands up against stiffer competition this year. Considering her recent finishes of second at the PKBGT Masters and T2 at the Golden Isles Girls Classic, Barnes will surely be eager to tee it up at a familiar place.

Yuxuan Hou of Princeton, N.J., is the highest-ranked player in the Futures National Division at No. 1388 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings. She finished T10 at the Butterfield Bermuda Junior Championship in February and T7 at the AJGA Junior All-Star at Rehoboth Beach in April.

Addie Lupton of Tega Cay, S.C., is a mainstay on the PKBGT, where she has already competed in over six events this year alone. She finished T4 at the PKBGT Open Championship in May and T5 at the Carolinas Girls Junior PGA Championship in June.

Minlin Ou of Shelby, N.C., has been on an absolute tear since November of 2025, winning three PKBGT tournaments including the Carolinas Girls Classic in May. She is currently No. 157 in the PKBGT Performance Index.

Discovery Division

Caroline Deese of Evans, Ga., arrives at Pine Needles with three 18-hole victories since May. That includes the North Carolina Series Showcase LPGA Qualifier to earn her place in this championship.

Ria Nenavath of Chester, N.J., has two wins in 2026, including the North Carolina Series Open in April.

Players to Watch: 2026 LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Championship presented by Marie Birdie

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