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The Southern California Golf Association (SCGA), Southern California PGA (SCPGA) and San Diego Junior Golf Association (SDJGA) are shaping the future of American junior golf alongside the United States Golf Association (USGA) with the announcement of the 2026 Team California (Southern) roster on Friday.
Team California (Southern) is one of 31 state junior team programs nationwide, created to expand, strengthen and diversify the pipeline for elite local golfers into the USGA’s U.S. National Development Program. The initiative provides key development, competitive and talent identification opportunities for athletes ages 13-18 and will continue adding new states each year, with the goal of all 50 states having a team by 2033.
The Team California (Southern) Committee, made up of representatives from the PGA of America, SCPGA, SCGA and SDJGA, selects 10 boys and 10 girls each year. Athletes earn their place on the team through outstanding competitive performance throughout the season.
2026 Team California Southern (Boys)
| Name | Graduation Year | Hometown |
| Kaden Chang | 2026 | Carlsbad |
| Max Emberson |
2026 | Thousand Oaks |
| Brayden Jones | 2027 | Seal Beach |
| Even Liu | 2027 | Rancho Santa Fe |
| Shawn Nawata | 2026 | Irvine |
| Luke Ringkamp | 2026 | Palm Desert |
| Andrew Rodriguez |
2026 | Whittier |
| Ethan Schramm | 2027 | Encinitas |
| Hill Wang | 2027 | Hacienda Heights |
| Zude Xu | 2028 | Rancho Palos Verdes |
2026 Team California Southern (Girls)
| Name | Graduation Year | Hometown |
| Samantha Daniels | 2028 | San Juan Capistrano |
| Isabella Fernandez | 2027 | Irvine |
| Fay Jia | 2028 | Murrieta |
| Ein Kim | 2028 | Irvine |
| Hailey Kim | 2029 | Simi Valley |
| Amber Lee | 2029 | San Diego |
| Aubrey Lee | 2030 | Stevenson Ranch |
| Kuree Little | 2026 | Palmdale |
| Isabella Wu | 2027 | Torrance |
| Vivi Yen | 2027 | Pomona |
Player Bios
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Kaden Chang
Age: 16
2025 AJGA Odyssey Jailbird Junior Champion
2025 SCPGA TTC Cantlay Series Mission Hills North Champion
T-3 at the 2025 AJGA PGA West Junior Championship
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Samantha Daniels
Age: 17
2025 SDJGA Girls Player of the Year
2025 AJGA Evian Showcase Open Champion
Reached the Round of 32 at the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship
Max Emberson
Age: 17
2025 Team California member
2025 Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Champion (Boys Division)
Reached the Round of 32 at the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship
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Isabella Fernandez
Age: 17
2025 SCPGA TTC Patrick Cantlay Mission Hills Champion
2025 SCPGA TTC Temecula Creek Champion
Reached the Round of 32 at the 2025 R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship
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Fay Jia
Age: 16
2025 Team California member
2025 AJGA Seri Pak Desert Champion
Semifinalist at the 2025 California Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championships
2025 SCGA Women’s Four-Ball Champion
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Brayden Jones
Age: 17
Committed to play at Arizona State University (2027)
2025 AJGA Beau Hossler Invitational Champion
Third place at the 2025 CIF State Boys High School Championship
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Ein Kim
Age: 16
2025 Women’s Dixie Amateur Champion
2025 AJGA Baltimore Junior Champion
Third place at the 2025 Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Championship (Girls Division)
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Hailey Kim
Age: 14
Reached the Round of 16 at the 2025 California Junior Girls State Championship
Reached the Round of 64 at the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship
T-2 at the 2025 SCPGA TTC Max Homa Invitational at Oak Valley
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Amber Lee
Age: 15
T-2 at the 2025 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship
2025 SCPGA TTC Desert Willow Champion
Qualified for the finals of Drive, Chip and Putt in 2022 and 2026
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Aubrey Lee
Age: 14
2025 California Women’s Amateur quarterfinalist
Qualified for the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship
Top-10 finish at the 2025 Uswing Junior World Championship
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Kuree Little
Age: 17
2025 SCPGA TTC Max Homa Invitational Champion
2025 Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Champion (Girls Division)
Multiple top-3 finishes at AJGA events in 2025
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Even Liu
Age: 16
Committed to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2027)
2025 Rolex AJGA Second Team All-American
Runner-up at the 2025 California Amateur Championship
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Shawn Nawata
Age: 18
Committed to play at Yale University (2026)
Second place at the 2025 SCPGA TTC Cantlay Series at Mission Hills
T-3 at the 2025 AJGA RG Golf Junior Championship
Luke Ringkamp
Age: 18
Committed to play at Pepperdine University (2026)
2025 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions winner
2025 AJGA Jim Click Automotive Champion
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Andrew Rodriguez
Age: 18
Committed to play at Long Beach State (2026)
2025 AJGA Seri Pak Desert Junior Champion
Runner-up at the 2025 AJGA Beau Hossler Junior Championship
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Ethan Schramm
Age: 16
Committed to play at San Diego State University (2027)
2025 California State Junior Amateur Champion
Second place at the 2025 Southern California Junior Amateur Golf Championship
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Hill Wang
Age: 17
Committed to play at Pepperdine University (2027)
Second place at the 2025 CIF-SCGA SoCal Boys High School Championship
Qualified for final stage of U.S. Open qualifying in 2024 and 2025
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Isabella Wu
Age: 17
2025 Team California member
2025 SCPGA TTC Patrick Cantlay Series Finale Champion
Qualified for the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
T-10 at the 2025 SCGA Women’s Amateur Championship
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Zude Xu
Age: 15
2025 SCPGA TTC River Ridge Champion
Second place at the Grapevine Amateur
Second place at the 2025 AJGA RG Golf Junior Championship
Vivi Yen
Age: 16
2025 Team California member
2025 AJGA Odyssey Jailbird Junior Champion
T-3 at the 2025 SCPGA TTC Temecula Creek
Third place at the 2025 SDJGA Phil Mickelson Junior Players Championship
Captain Bios
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Holly Kennedy, PGA
San Diego, CA
PGA Professional since 2000
UCLA Women’s Golf alum (2000-05)
Owner, Emerald Isle Executive Golf Course
SDJGA board member
2025 SCPGA Golf Professional of the Year
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Lizette Salas
Azusa, CA
LPGA Professional since 2012
USC Women’s Golf Alum
5x Solheim Cup Team Member
4x All-American
CIF Girls State Champion (2006)
Coach Bios
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Blake Jirges, PGA
Fullerton, CA
Director of Player Development, Coto de Caza
U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Instructor
Golf Digest Best Young Teacher
CA Teacher & Coach Hall of Fame Inductee (2023)
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Bryana Nguyen, PGA
Irvine, CA
Director of Instruction, El Niguel CC
UNC Women’s Golf Alum
Former Epson Tour Player
U.S. Kids Level 1 Certified
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Jon Schoepf, PGA
San Pedro, CA
Director of Instruction, Rolling Hills CC
3x Golf Digest Best Young Teacher
U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Instructor
Advanced Instruction Certification
