The 2026 Girls Junior America’s Cup was hosted by the Oregon Golf Association at Illahe Hills Country Club in Salem, Oregon. Team Arizona stacked up well against a top-notch field, placing fourth out of 18 teams representing their state, province, or country. The team was comprised of Lauren Richardson of Gilbert, Beau Ellington of Paradise Valley, and Claire and Caroline Brooks of Scottsdale. It was the youngest Girls Team Arizona roster in Junior Americas Cup history.
Arizona got off to a slow start, sitting 10-over par cumulatively after moving day in round two, but gathered momentum in the final round. Lauren Richardson heated up down the stretch, capturing three birdies en route to a 2-under 70 that provided Arizona’s late-tournament leverage and secured her a top-10 individual finish (4-over, 77-73-70—220).
Southern California was declared champions, closing at 1-over par for the three rounds (217-212-220—649).
Madeleine Conser of Oregon and Gabriella Gu of San Diego tied for top individual honors at 5-under par, with two Southern California players tied for third at 1-over. Taking top honors for Arizona was Lauren Richardson, tied for eighth at 4-over par. Richardson started the tournament cold but found her form as the week went on, picking up a string of birdies in rounds two and three, capped by a 2-under 70 on the final day. Right behind her were Claire Brooks at 6-over (222, T12) and Beau Ellington at 7-over (71-78-74—223, T14). Caroline Brooks rounded out the squad.
Modeled after the collegiate golf format, the Girls Junior America’s Cup features 18 teams of four girls, each representing a U.S. state, Canadian province, or Mexican region. The competition takes place over three days, with 18 holes played each round for a total of 54 holes to determine the winning team. Each team counts its best three scores each round, with the low-scoring team after 54 holes crowned 2026 champions and presented with the championship trophy.
The 2026 competition marked the 47th anniversary of the Girls Junior America’s Cup and the third time it was held in Oregon, following 2006 at Waverly Country Club in Portland, where Southern California also won.
With alumni like Lorena Ochoa, Lizette Salas, Pat Hurst, Amy Fruhwirth, and Brandie Burton, the Girls Junior America’s Cup continues to be a powerful launching pad for the next generation of stars in women’s golf.
“It was terrific to see the fight and resiliency from this core group of girls,” said JGAA Executive Director Scott McNevin. “They fought tooth and nail till the very end and proudly represented the Grand Canyon State.”
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