Lisa Herman of Oklahoma (JNK) claims medalist honors
PINEHURST, N.C. – California (SMC) captured the team title, while Lisa Herman of Oklahoma (JNK) completed a wire-to-wire victory to win medalist honors at the 2026 PGA High School Girls Golf National Invitational presented by Titleist & FootJoy. The Invitational was held at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club on Pinehurst No. 1 and No. 5 from July 11-13.
California (SMC) led from the opening round and finished at 20-under-par 836 (283-274-279), the only team in the field to finish under par. The team claimed the title by 26 strokes over North Carolina’s Pinecrest High School, which finished at 6-over-par 862 (293-277-292).
The victory marked California’s second PGA High School Girls Golf National Invitational title after winning the 2024 Invitational at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco. Three players – Angelina Tao, Emily Song and Donina Zhou – returned to help lead this year’s title run.
“We came into the week really prepared and ready to play our best while lifting each other up every day,” said Tao, who spoke for her team. “We never wanted to focus on the leaderboard. Our goal was to play the best golf we could and post the lowest score possible.”
Lisa Herman of Oklahoma (JNK) delivered one of the tournament’s most impressive individual performances, leading after every round and finishing at 14-under-par 200 following rounds of 65, 66 and 69 to win by three strokes.
“A lot of things went right for me this week,” Herman said. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens, and I made the putts when I needed them. I was definitely nervous coming down the stretch, but knowing my teammates were behind me helped me stay focused and keep pushing until the end.”
Dresden Bounds of Texas (CMP) also had an impressive performance and finished runner-up at 11-under-par 203 (69-65-69). Herman and Bounds were the only players to shoot all three rounds in the 60s.
California showcased its depth by placing three players in the top 10 individually. Tao tied for third at 7-under-par 207 (69-68-70), Song tied for fifth at 6-under-par 208 (66-71-71), and Nora Qu fired a final-round 67 to finish tied for seventh at 5-under-par 209 (74-68-67).
Ira Joshi of North Carolina (PNC) tied Tao for third at 7-under-par 207 (69-65-73), while Rylen Darter of Texas (IND) joined Song in a tie for fifth at 6-under-par 208 after rounds of 68-68-72.
The Girls National Invitational is part of the eighth PGA High School Golf National Invitational presented by Titleist & FootJoy, which brings together more than 500 state champion golfers from across the country to compete for national team and individual championships. The Boys National Invitational will be held July 18-20 on Pinehurst Nos. 5 and 6.
Golfers qualified for the Invitational by winning their respective high school state championships as individuals or teams in both public and private school divisions. The PGA High School Golf National Invitational has become one of the nation’s premier events for high school golfers, providing state champions the opportunity to compete as teams or individuals. This year marks the second of a three-year return to Pinehurst, which previously hosted the event from 2020-22.
For more information on the 2026 PGA High School Golf National Invitational, visit the championship website.
About the PGA National High School Golf Association
The PGA of America operates the National High School Golf Association, which supports high school golfers, coaches and community. The PGA High School Golf National Invitational is an invitation-only event with a field consisting of the top high school golfers from across the country who have won their respective state championships as a team or as an individual.
About Pinehurst Resort & Country Club:
Established in 1895 in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club is a 2,200-acre property featuring 10 outstanding golf courses, The Cradle nine-hole par-3 short course, 75,000 square-foot putting course (Thistle Dhu), 16 clay tennis courts, an award-winning spa, other recreation and social activities for families, and elegant accommodations across one hotel, two inns, villas and condos. Widely known as the Cradle of American Golf, Pinehurst hosted more single golf championships – including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and PGA TOUR Championship – than any other site in North America. Golfers enjoy layouts designed by the game’s greatest architects, including Donald Ross, Gil Hanse, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio and Ellis Maples. Pinehurst Resort, in concert with the United States Golf Association (USGA), was recently selected as the first U.S. Open Anchor Site and will host the championship in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. To book tee times and golf packages: www.pinehurstresort.com, 855.235.8507.
Media Contacts:
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