In Between NCAA Title and College Graduation, Megha Ganne Makes Pro Debut at U.S. Women’s Open

Amid a hectic few weeks, Ganne is turning pro after a decorated amateur career. Her goal is to be "comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Megha Ganne is making her pro debut this week at the U.S. Women's Open. | Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Most recent and soon-to-be college graduates have an eye on the future, and perhaps anxiously so, as they try to nail down a job or prepare to embark on a new beginning.

Such is the case with Megha Ganne, although she’s living a much different reality than any other 22-year-old.

Just days after leading the Stanford Cardinals to an NCAA women’s golf title, Ganne will make her pro debut at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club.

As another Stanford Cardinal (Tiger Woods) once famously said, “Hello, world.”

“It’s a little bit hectic,” the New Jersey native said Tuesday. “At the very least, I can stay in California, which is really nice. And the weather is beautiful and I’m playing golf, so I don't have that many complaints.”

Ganne is no stranger to the spotlight. In fact, the U.S. Women’s Open is where she made a name for herself. Five years ago, as a 17-year-old amateur at the Olympic Club, she claimed the co-lead after Round 1, was three off the lead entering the final day, and went on to finish T14.

Megha Ganne is making her pro debut this week at the U.S. Women's Open after helping Stanford win the NCAA title last week.

She has been dominant since missing the cut at ANWA. What did she learn that week?

"ANWA was cool for me because I have not played that poorly in a big… pic.twitter.com/VVvQXGeXsF

— Cameron Jourdan (@Cam_Jourdan) June 1, 2026

A lot has changed since then.

“It does feel like a lifetime ago, honestly,” she said. “I mean, like five years have gone by, so I would hope that I am hopefully drastically different than I was then in some ways, and in some ways I still feel like I maintained a lot of good parts of myself that I love looking back on when I was 17 at Olympic. So I have definitely grown as a golfer, as person, and a teammate.”

What advice would she give that 17-year-old now?

“This journey is long and there are ups and downs, but, like, your best days are still ahead,” she said. “So probably tell myself that right now, too.”

On par with that mindset, she’s experienced both highs and lows in her amateur career. Of course, Ganne was part of two NCAA championship squads (2024, 2026) and won the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year. But she also missed the cut in April at the Augusta Women’s Amateur.

However, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“ANWA was cool for me because I have not played that poorly in a big event in a long time,” said Ganne, who finished runner-up for the NCAA individual title, “so I guess—I said this in a prior interview—but there has always been a little pocket of my head where it’s like, ‘What happens when you don't play well at a really big tournament?’

“Maybe not fear is the right word, but just curiosity of what that would look like and how that would affect me. At ANWA, I learned the answer, and the answer is absolutely nothing. Life goes on. Then you wake up the next day and go practice and do really well the next venue play.”

Now, she’ll tee it up alongside Michelle Wie West and Lydia Ko, both major champions in the first two rounds at Riviera, and is looking to soak in as much as possible.

“I try to get as much advice as possible any time I speak to anyone on tour,” Ganne said. “Lydia is actually someone I’ve been leaning on more recently. She’s been practicing out of Stanford, so she's been the coolest resource to have around and just a good friend to everyone on the team.”

Success isn’t always linear, though. Sure, Ganne’s former college teammate, Rose Zhang, won in her pro debut three years ago. And Lottie Wood did the same last year. But prior to those two, no player had accomplished that feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.

Ganne, who has secured Epson Tour status, has tempered her expectations for the near future.

“I think just being comfortable being uncomfortable is going to be my goal for the next 12 to 18 months here,” she said.

Next week, she’ll walk across the stage and receive her diploma. Heck, she hasn’t even finished all her classes.

First, however, she’ll look to complete four rounds in her first major championship as a pro.

Regardless of how Ganne fares, that’s not too shabby for a fresh college graduate.

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