USC women’s golf entered this week’s Golfweek Red Sky Classic as the defending champion after winning the tournament in 2025. The Trojans left the Red Sky Classic this week with another championship, along with a new program and tournament record to their name.

USC finished the three-day, 54-hole tournament at 47-under par, two strokes better than the school record they recorded in the same event last year. The Trojans defeated second-place Miami by 14 shots at Red Sky Golf Club’s par-72 Fazio Course. 

The victory marks USC’s first tournament title of the 2026-27 season after finishing second in the season-opening ANNIKA Intercollegiate, where the Trojans climbed three places during the final round of the event to secure the runner-up finish.

Strong start to open tournament

USC rose to No. 1 in tournament rankings at the Red Sky Classic immediately, beating out the other 19 teams. During Monday’s opening round, the Trojans shot a 266, 22-under par, a performance that broke both program and course records they had established at the tournament last season. The performance gave USC an 11-shot advantage over Miami after only 18 holes.

Freshman Kaili Xiao made an impactful collegiate debut at the tournament, shooting a 65, 7-under par. It was the best debut round by a Trojan since Head Coach Justin Silverstein took charge of the program during the 2018-19 season.

Junior Jasmine Koo matched Xiao’s 65 to help complete the record-setting round with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole. Koo was crucial for USC in the tournament, finishing strong with birdies on five of her last six holes. 

Junior Kylie Chong followed closely by shooting a bogey-free 66, placing the three Trojans at the top of the individual leaderboard after the first day.

USC expands lead on day two

USC continued to separate itself from the 19 other teams Tuesday. The Trojans shot 11-under par at 277, improving their tournament score to 33-under par to that point and increasing their lead by 15 strokes.

Sophomore Sarah Hammett had the strongest second-round performance. After scoring a 70 on Monday, Hammett shot a career-low 65 that included six birdies and an eagle. She jumped 15 positions to enter the final round in second place at nine-under par, two shots behind Miami sophomore Scarlett Schremmer.

Chong remained near the top of the standings at 8-under, while Xiao sat one stroke behind her, and Koo sat at 6-under, putting four USC players inside the top 10 with one round to go. Senior Bailey Shoemaker also strengthened the Trojans’ position by shooting a 2-under with a 70 and moving up 11 places.

Trojans secure victory on final day

With a commanding lead, USC went into Wednesday with a big advantage over its competitors. The Trojans closed with a 14-under, shooting 274 and reaching 47-under for the tournament — surpassing the program record of 45-under set at Red Sky last year.

Although USC dominated the competition, Schremmer claimed the individual championship for the Hurricanes. She shot 199, finishing 17-under after shooting rounds of 67, 66 and 66. Her final-round performance helped Miami post a 15-under on 273 strokes and secure second place, but the Hurricanes could not overcome the lead USC had built during the first two days of the tournament.

Koo ended up as the highest-placing Trojan, finishing third overall thanks to shooting 6-under par on the final day. Seven birdies on Wednesday pushed Koo into the top three, finishing with 204 strokes, 12-under par. 

USC’s success came as a result of its stellar roster. Xiao showed she could contribute immediately in her collegiate debut, while experienced players Koo and Chong came back to a course where they shared individual medalist honors last season. 

Winning the Red Sky Classic in consecutive seasons has kept the Trojans in the spotlight for the 2026 season, and breaking the program’s scoring record for the second straight year made USC’s performance even more significant.

Through its first two tournaments, USC has finished as a runner-up and as a dominant victor. The result reaffirmed why the Trojans ended last season ranked No. 2 nationally, and why they expect to compete for much larger championships later this season. 

USC will stay in state for its next tournament when it plays in the Stanford Intercollegiate from Oct. 16 to 18.