The USGA has announced the 2026 Young Professional Program roster, featuring Gianna Clemente and Zoe Antoinette Campos (pictured above). The Young Professional Program, in its first year, is a key pillar of the U.S. National Development Program (USNDP), established in 2023 to create a unified pathway for developing and supporting America’s top golf talent.
“The transition from amateur to professional golf can determine the course of a young player’s career,” said Heather Daly‑Donofrio, USGA managing director of Player Relations and Development. “Far too often, that step is taken without a system designed to support it. We’re changing that. By creating a clear, intentional pathway, one long championed by other leading golf nations, the USGA is investing in the potential of America’s rising stars and giving them the tools to compete, belong, and succeed at the professional level.”
The Young Professional Program will support players from the USNDP pathways. In 2025, the USGA piloted the program by supporting a handful of young professionals, including Neal Shipley, to provide resources as they pursue the highest levels of the game. The U.S. National Development Program currently has a National Junior Team, in its third year, and an Elite Amateur Program, in its second year.
“Having the support of the USNDP in my first years as a pro has been huge,” Shipley said. “The resources that are available to me and access to the coaches and consultants – from nutritional guidance to mental performance – have given me the tools and the confidence to compete at this level.”
