BANDON, Ore. — On most days, the driving range at Bandon Dunes is not a place for stripe shows.
It’s where mid-to-high handicap resort guests bang out buckets, hoping to find answers in the dirt.
Blade. Chunk. Slice. Hook.
On Wednesday morning, though, the practice grounds at the famed Oregon destination had a different look and sound. The swings were pure and the shots were flush, struck by 64 of the world’s finest female amateur golfers. Match-play in the 125th U.S. Women’s Amateur was underway.
Among those getting loose under cool, gray skies was Kiara Romero of San Jose, Calif., the newly minted No. 1 ranked women’s amateur in the world.
A first-team All-American in her freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Oregon, Romero is in the midst of a sparkling 2025 campaign. In April, she led the field on the final day of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur before finishing in the top 10. Less than two months later, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, where her Sunday 67 was the lowest final-round score ever posted by an amateur in the event. Along the way, she won the Big Ten Women’s Golf Championships and was named the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Golfer of the Year.
On Wednesday, as she readied for her round-of-64 match against Caroline Smith of Inverness, Ill., Romero hit shots under the watch of her Oregon coach Derek Radley, who is caddying for his star player this week.
“What I love about her game is that there’s not a whole lot of thought or technique that goes into it,” Radley said. “Back at school, she’ll hit enough ball to get loose but mostly she just loves to go out and play. She’s the most naturally gifted ball striker I’ve ever come across in women’s golf.”
Still, innate talent only goes so far without solid fundamentals, and Romero has those too.
What, exactly, does she do so well? And what can the rest of us learn from her? For insights, we turned to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Kellie Stenzel.
A spot-on setup
At the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, Romero averaged 267.3 yard off the tee, 16th in the field. She’s long and accurate with her driver, success that starts before she draws the club back. “Her driver setup is fantastic,” Stenzel says. “She’s got the ball forward enough to have shoulder tilt to catch the ball on an upswing and maximize distance.” Her setup is also “very square,” Stenzel says, with her shoulders, hips and feet all in alignment.
A tremendous turn
Part of Romero’s power comes from the width she maintains on her backswing. But Stenzel says Romero also benefits from “extreme flexibility, which allows for a longer swing. “Notice the lower body is able to stay very stable even with this long backswing.” All of this is enviable. But it’s not something everyone can emulate. Stenzel says that everyday golfers who lack Romero’s flexibility would be better off closing their stance slightly and flaring their back foot, which frees the hips to turn. “Only swing the club back as far as your flexibility allows,” Stenzel says.
A key takeaway
As Romero draws the club back, her shoulders rotate more than her hips, a differential that holds true at the top of her backswing. That coil, combined with a perfectly on-plane club head, puts her in a great position to unleash toward impact.
The upsides to her downswing
As Romero uncoils, her arms extend down as he body releases, freeing her to rotate through the ball. Note, Stenzel says, that her arms are fully extended through impact. She finishes with hands high and in perfect balance.
