Megha Ganne headed back to U.S. Women's Open

Three years after capturing the national spotlight by contending for the U.S. Women’s Open title during her junior year at Holmdel High School, Megha Ganne is heading back to the national championship.

Now a sophomore at Stanford, Ganne took medalist honors at Monday’s U.S. Women’s Open sectional qualifier at El Macero Country Club in El Macero, Calif.

Megha Ganne, currently ranked 52^nd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings after a top-20 finish at Augusta National Women’s Amateur, posted rounds of 70 and 68 to finish at 6-under-par, one shot clear of amateur Sabrina Iqbal.

The U.S. Women's Open begins on May 30 at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.

At the 2021 Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Ganne fired an opening-round 67 and was still in contention on Sunday, playing in the last group during the final round.

A semifinalist at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur, Ganne came up through the First Tee junior golf program, and qualified for the national finals of Drive, Chip and Putt, a junior skills competition, four time at Augusta National.

Stanford is the top-ranked women’s golf team in the country this season, and finished second at the NCAA Tournament in 2023, falling to USC in the championship match.

Ganne qualified for the Open on the same day her younger sister, Sirina, a Holmdel junior who is the reigning NJSIAA state champion, captured the Monmouth County Tournament title.