By: Karlie Genevive, ’26 Summer Intern
Following a successful first year at the Wild Wood Country Club in Rush, NY (Section V), the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Girls Golf State Championship will be held back there again from June 6-8. It’s the second year of a three-year bid at Wild Wood.
The event will showcase the top female golfers in each of the 11 sections from across New York State competing for both individual and team titles. The tournament is scheduled for two days of competition and a practice round the day before. Competition officially kicks off on Sunday, June 7 with the first round starting at 9:00 AM followed by the final round on Monday, June 8 beginning at 9:00 AM with a shotgun start.
“We’re very excited to again be in the Greater Rochester area for this event,” said Jamie Harter, NYSPHSAA Girls Golf State Coordinator. “Wild Wood has already proven to be a fantastic host with a great course, staff and amenities for our event, plus the Rochester District Golf Association is an incredible asset to our tournament helping us manage it and handle many details necessary for a successful golf event.”
Wild Wood Country Club is known for its beautiful and challenging course with tree-lined fairways, well-placed bunkers, and rolling greens that test both skill and strategy.
With the graduation two years ago of three-time individual champion Kennedy Swedick of Albany Academy (Section 2), who made history winning three consecutive titles from 2022 to 2024, junior Nina Choe of Ursuline (Section 1) marked the start of a new era capturing the 2025 state championship. Chloe, committed to UC Davis to play golf, won her third straight sectional title this spring and will return to the state field once again.
Following Choe, Hayden Knapp (South Glens Falls, Section 2) finished as 2025 runner up while Delaney Abel (Corning-Painted Post, Section IV) was third and Isabella Ok (Goshen, Section IX) closed in at the fourth spot in the standings.
The field this year includes several of last year’s top performers including Choe, Knapp, Abel, Ok, along with Maria Glavin (LaSalle Institute, Section II), Destiny Jodoin (Victor, Section V), and Emma Lee from Scarsdale (Section I). With many of last year’s top ten finishers graduating, the 2026 championship promises the emergence of fresh talent, especially among underclassmen and sectional qualifiers from across the state.
For the team event, which is conducted within the individual competition, will see two-time defending champion Scarsdale (Section 1) return to the field of teams. Each team consists of a foursome of players who compete on both days of competition to determine a state champion.
The event is free and open to the public.