What Does Playing In A Major Do To Your Handicap Index? Three Top Amateurs Have The Answer...

Three of the World Amateur Golf Ranking's top-10 arrived at the US Women's Open last week full of hope and undoubtedly confidence too but expecting an unflinching examination of their golf games.

And they certainly underwent a tough test at Riviera Country Club as Nelly Korda triumphed by a single stroke, but each of the trio passed with flying colors to rack up a top-25 finish of their own.

World Amateur No. 1 Romero in particular proved her class by ending the week T6th thanks to scores of 73-70-70-68, adding up to a three-under-par total. However, due to her amateur status the American was unable to collect a check for roughly $430,000.

Her consolation prize was standing next to US Women's Open champion Korda as the low amateur, though - adding to her incredible list of achievements so far.

Discussing her performance after being confirmed the 2026 US Women's Open low amateur, she said: "I feel like I'm just really proud of myself after the week that I just had. Definitely wasn't easy.

"This course played unbelievably hard and took a lot of brain power out there for sure. But I'm just really proud of how my game has grown these past few years."

The American's excellent week also resulted in a noticeable change to what is already an extraordinary handicap index.

Figures shared by the USGA showed the course rating at Riviera CC was 79.8 and the slope was 149, making Romero's first-round 73 (+2) worth -5.2 in terms of Score Differential (SD).

Her second and third round 70 (-1) worked out to -7.4 SD while the 20-year-old's closing 68 (-3) was -8.9.

Therefore, Romero arrived in California with a handicap index of +8.0 but left having knocked 0.5 shots off, taking her to a scarcely believable +8.5.

Meanwhile, World Amateur No.8 Asterisk Talley's handicap index followed an identical pattern to Romero in terms of dropping from +8.0 to +8.5, although her individual round scores varied.

The 17-year-old posted 71-75-66-74 as she finished T22nd, with that Saturday five-under round working out to -10.5 in terms of SD.

Lastly, Aphrodite Deng ultimately ended the US Women's Open in T17th at level par through four rounds thanks to scores of 70-73-68-73.

The World Amateur No.7's three-under 68 (SD -8.9) was her round of the week and helped Deng drop her handicap index from +6.8 to an even +7.0.

To put these scores into context, German pro Esther Henseleit finished her 2018 campaign as an amateur with a handicap of +7.1, which was believed to be the best ever recorded handicap in Europe.

Rory McIlroy's handicap before he turned pro was +6 and is now believed to be around +8.3, while Scottie Scheffler's theoretical handicap index was +10.5 at the peak of his powers this time last year.

The average handicap index for female amateur golfers in the United States and the British Isles is between 27-29.

Whatever handicap index the aforementioned amateur trio end on when they turn pro, you can almost guarantee they'll continue to post some incredible numbers in the paid ranks, too.