For Kiara Romero, winning top-tier golf tournaments is something she is familiar with. The 17-year-old is used to raising silver and gold trophies above her head in the limelight of the impressed golf community. However, unlike her past triumphs on the junior circuit, this time around Romero was not alone in celebrating her victory. Seven Ducks, including head coach Derek Radley, cheered on Romero and sprayed her with water after she finished her last hole at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate on Sept. 13.
“Having a team right behind me and supporting me after each hole has been really cool and a new experience,” Romero said. “It’s definitely a different atmosphere than juniors.”
On Sept. 11, Romero and her teammates left Eugene for the Royal Golf Club in Minneapolis to compete in the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, an annual college golf tournament founded by the ANNIKA Foundation in 2014. The 54-hole stroke play event features 12 of the top Division I women’s programs in the country and stretches across three days.
For the first time wearing Oregon green on a lush grass oasis, Romero clinched the individual title at eight-under tying with three other medalists: Louise Rydqvist, University of South Carolina; Phoebe Brinker, Duke University; and Lottie Woad, Florida State University. Oregon placed second as a team with 13 strokes under par across the final five holes. Romero’s skillful start led her to be named Pac-12 Golfer of the Week –– the first of many accolades Romero is expected to receive throughout her college career.
“So far this season, I have been working on a lot of short game,” Romero said. “It has been the weakest part of my game for a while, but these last few months I have seen significant improvement. I think it is one of the main reasons why I won my last two events.”
Romero said she is eager to learn a lot from head coach Radley and her teammates. She came to Eugene as the No.1 ranked player in the 2023 class by Golfweek. Radley signed Romero last November after the San Jose native’s standout year, where she placed in the top 10 of every event she played during 2022. Radley rallied behind the incoming Duck and watched her win the 74th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at United States Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club in July.
The incoming sports business student shared her excitement to work with and support Oregon athletes from different sports teams. Among her student-athlete peers in the Duck family is her older brother Kyreece. Kyreece joined the Oregon men’s golf team as a freshman this year, after taking a gap year post high school. In the final round of his collegiate debut at the Husky Individual competition on Sept. 19, Kyreece carded a shining five-under 67, securing a top-25 finish.
“We are really close. Ever since we were young we have been playing golf together, so it is awesome to continue our careers here,” Romero said.
In addition to competing at the college level, Romero is eager to play on the professional tour. She hopes that her recent deal with Excel Sports Management, a national, full-service management and marketing agency that represents high-profile athletes across the sports landscape, will offer her resources and opportunities outside of Oregon.
“Hopefully, the Excel team can help me get into some LPGA tournaments this year,” Romero said.
Excel’s women’s division also represents Rose Zhang, whom Romero considers to be “one of the best rookies on the LPGA tour.” Zhang, the two-time NCAA individual champion from Stanford University, signed with Excel in 2022 for enhanced NIL representation before turning pro last May. In addition to Romero and Yhang, Excel’s client roster includes the likes of Nikola Jokić, George Springer and Tiger Woods.
The young Duck, born in 2006, has quickly displayed her maturity on the course and against the nation’s top-tier golfers. Romero’s career is just beginning and the expectations are high, but that does not seem to intimidate her.
“I just want to put my best effort into every tournament,” Romero said. “I can’t really control the exact result. If I have a bad day, I have to accept that it happens. I am going to put in everything I have, and see how it goes from there.” With this attitude and outlook on the game, Oregon women’s golf has a bright future ahead.
As of Sept. 24, Oregon notched the No. 2 position in the latest Golfweek Magazine rankings. A spot at No. 1 might be on the horizon, given the team’s first win of the season at the Molly Collegiate Invitational in Seaside, CA. on Sept. 26.
