In prep for Curtis Cup, Kiara Romero keeps looking like the best player in the world

LOS ANGELES — Kiara Romero is the top-ranked amateur golfer in the world, but her dance background is always one of the first topics of conversation with many folks.

And yet, she’s not proficient in Pliés, Relevés or Pirouettes.

“No, that’s not my thing at all,” Romero said.

Up until a few days ago, Romero’s Wikipedia bio said she grew up in New York and attended the Joffrey Ballet Center. She didn’t. She was raised in San Jose playing golf with her brother, sister and parents.

The mistake made for some good laughs, especially when she was asked about it during a live interview on the Golf Channel.

“I was, like, I don't know where you guys got that, but it's just I've never been a dancer in my whole life,” Romero said.

That’s OK since the 19-year-old Romero is crushing it in golf. The University of Oregon standout was at Bel-Air Country Club over the weekend to play with 11 potential Curtis Cup teammates (she’s a lock for one of trhe eight spots on the team) on the George Thomas-designed course before the prestigious biennial match is played between the U.S and Great Britain & Ireland, June 12-14.

“It's really nice to be out here at Bel-Air. We played here a few years ago, but the clubhouse [renovation] wasn’t done yet,” Romero said. “This course is really beautiful, and I love it out here. It’s a chance to just play with all these girls. We've all grown up playing junior golf together, so we know each other, but it’s about building that team bond.

“We're just used to playing against each other so often, so it's kind of nice to switch up the vibe and be on each other's team for once.”

Romero is the reigning winner of the McCormack Medal, awarded by the USGA and R&A to the best amateur female golfer, and with that comes exemptions into this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, which will be held the week after the Curtis Cup, nearby to Bel-Air at Riviera Country Club, and the Women’s British Open, scheduled in July for Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s.

Curtis Cup captain Meghan Stasi looks forward to working with Romero, whom she first met four years ago.

“Her consistency and her work ethic,” Stasi said of what stands out about Romero. “You watch her pre-shot routine and it's the same every single time. You never know if she's up or down. Her temperament is just unbelievable. And when she's on, she's on. Just a beautiful, beautiful swing.”

Romero won the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado, so she’s been a rising star compiling great start after great start for quite some time.

Fast forward to another stellar year at Oregon, where in 2025 Romero became the program’s first two-time first-team All-American. Her sophomore season included winning the Big Ten Championship, notching medalist honors in the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional, and finishing T-7 in the NCAA individual championships while leading Oregon to a spot in the team semifinals.

Romero was just getting started. She played in the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills (via the U.S. Girls Junior title) and made the cut. She then shot a third-round 84. It was beyond disappointing, but Romero followed with a 67 in the final round, ending on a good note and finishing tied for 45th. In August, she got another chance on the big stage on a sponsor's invite into the LPGA's Standard Portland Classic and fired a 64 in the final round to finish seventh.

“I've definitely learned a lot. There are some ups and downs throughout it all,” Romero said. “The best experience was the U.S. Open. Just making the cut and then shooting the worst round of the day on Saturday and then shooting the best round of the day on Sunday.

“That was the first time I shot 80 in a while. That was something different, but it was something I learned from him. I’m super grateful for the experience and kind of learning that it's never too late to come back and just never let anything knock me down.”

With the 2025-26 spring campaign ahead, Romero led the Ducks in the fall with a 68.95 scoring average and placed in the top three in all four tournaments. She’ll look to add to her four career individual wins, which tie Romero for the program’s most.

Faith has become a more integral part of Romero’s life the last few years and something she says keeps her grounded, along with her family.

“Having faith as an athlete and in life in general is such an important part,” Romero said. “It kind of changed a lot for me. I felt like golf was a really big part of my life. And I think sometimes I would go out there and have a bad day and it would really get to me in a negative way. Knowing my identity is in Christ, it changes a lot for me and puts the perspective that, it doesn’t really matter what happens out there. If I go out there and do my best that I can, that's really all I can do.”

This past season, Romero’s sister, Kaleiya, was a graduate assistant coach at Oregon. Their brother, Kyreece, is also a golfer at Oregon. Kiara is in her comfort zone around family, and it’s no surprise she got her first ace while playing with her brother, sister and parents at Santa Teresa Golf Club near their home in San Jose.

“All three of us have always been super close,” Romero said. “We’re like best friends.”

Romero should feel right at home this summer since she’s spent plenty of time golfing in L.A. She has the opportunity to test her golf game against some of the best amateurs and professionals in the world.

“I'm not huge on setting goals. I like to work hard and do my best and just kind of enjoy it and have fun with it,” Romero said. “Just see where what happens. That's really all I can control.”