HOLMDEL, N.J. — The Ladies PGA tournament has had its fair share of wonder kids over the years, and it isn’t wholly inaccurate to say that there are more wonder kids in female golf than in any other sport. However, over the past couple of years, more rookie superstars are hailing from Asia with fewer of them coming from the United States. It’s even rarer for such a potential superstar to come from the state of New Jersey, a location that is better known for other sports rather than the noble game of golf. That is why the rise of Megha Ganne still feels surreal and that is why the people of New Jersey are celebrating her success like never before, as she has brought a lot of attention and pride to the dynamic state.

She is a significant role model to young professionals in New Jersey and not merely the lady rookies that hail from the state. She’s proof that if you work hard enough then you can achieve anything you set out to accomplish on the grandest stages.

Ganne is a 17 -year-old high school student from New Jersey. An amateur golfer, she qualified for her first professional major golfing tournament, the U.S. Women’s Open, earlier this year. Ganne is a phenomenon, as she has been competing in golf tournaments since she was 12 and Katie Rudolph has coached her for almost a decade. She is still in high school, even though she has committed to attending the prestigious Stanford University in the fall of 2022, where she would join a crop of outstanding amateur female and male golfers. Ganne has Indian ancestry, as both her parents are originally from there, and they settled in Holmdel, where they’ve been ever since.

Ganne is one of the quieter members on the amateur circuit, she didn’t even notice New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s congratulatory message until a couple of hours later.

Her coach Rudolph has always been in awe about her natural flair for the game telling Golf Digest, “I’ve been calling her ‘the best player in the world’ since she was 7.”

These are tremendous words coming from an experienced coach and she hasn’t stopped believing in her protegee ever since she began working with her as an eight-year-old. Asked whether it was just a way to hype her up, Rudolph continued, “I believed it. I don’t think it was psychological because I think I believed it. People used to laugh at me. I would tell anyone who would listen for the last ten years—she’s going to be the best player in the world. She’s had the potential for a long time.”

Of course, it takes a particular player to put that amount of confidence in a seasoned coach and Ganne is undoubtedly one exceptional prospect with the world at her feet.

A casual fan might be forgiven for thinking that New Jersey’s newest golfing sensation is a newbie to the scene, but that couldn’t be more inaccurate. Ganne has been on the amateur circuit for a while, racking up achievements like qualifying for four Drive, Chip & Putt national finals at Augusta National and playing in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open at the age of 15. She also reached the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, competing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019 and recently won the Scott Robertson Memorial in Virginia. As such, her run in the U.S Women’s Open shouldn’t come as a huge shocker, but it’s still outstanding nonetheless.

Ganne performed admirably at the U.S Women’s Open. She held a share of the lead after the opening round, was tied for third going into the final day and she finished the tournament in a tie for No. 14, that meant that she was the highest placed amateur in the entire tournament and did way better than the initial tournament expectations of barely missing the cut.

An unforgettable week from 17-year-old Megha Ganne!

She earns low amateur honors in the 76th #USWomensOpen. pic.twitter.com/LiO2LJe2o7

— U.S. Women's Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) June 6, 2021

Ganne certainly got a lot of New Jersey residents talking including Murphy, who tweeted “New Jersey’s own Megha Ganne is on absolute fire at the #USWomensOpen.” You know that you’re doing something well as a high school student when your governor gives you a shoutout for handling things at the biggest of stages. Ganne certainly did great at only her second appearance at the U.S Women’s Open, and fingers crossed, she will keep getting better and better as time goes by.

Ganne has the mentality of an elite sportswoman, and she has a singular focus to be the best she can be in anything she sets out to. She isn’t fazed by participating against the pros, she isn’t worried about sharing the stage with seasoned veterans and she has a coach that believes she’s the best player in the world. Not just that, she has the whole state of New Jersey behind her as she navigates the complex world of being an amateur star athlete. This young lady from New Jersey has limitless potential; it’s just amazing seeing her strides in real-time. Golf fans should be seeing more and more of her in the next decade as New Jersey’s next golf star isn’t going anywhere but the top of the podium.

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