Aussie Raegan Denton Makes a Summer Splash on the U.S. Amateur Circuit

By Karen Milliner

Near the top of women’s amateur tournament leaderboards this past month in the U.S., there’s a lone Aussie flag among a sea of stars and stripes, thanks to rising star Raegan Denton from the Adelaide Golf Club.

Raegan, who just turned 19, is spending the American summer competing in as many tournaments as possible before she enters the college system in August at Louisiana State University.

At the first of her schedule of hit-outs, The Nelly Invitational in Florida, she tied sixth and then backed up with a fifth-place tie in Georgia at the Sea Island Women’s Amateur. As we chatted via video after her final round, she was readying herself to tee off in two days in the Women’s Southern Amateur Championship in Savannah. There, thanks to a sizzling second round course record 66 she finished third outright, only one shot back from the joint leaders who went to a playoff. Raegan also picked up the Low Junior trophy at the event.

She’s relishing every experience and the challenges of each golf course and was thrilled to meet women’s World No. 1 Nelly Korda at her eponymous Florida Invitational.

“It was a dream come true to meet Nelly. She is my biggest golfing idol,” Raegan says. “I had a huge poster of her on my wall that I made as a school project. I became a really big fan when she won the Australian Open [in 2019 at The Grange Golf Club]. I was a member of the club at the time, and I volunteered at the Open. There’s a photo of Nelly holding the trophy with all of the volunteers around her and I am right next to her.”

The two were photographed again together at The Nelly, and it’s easy to see their similarities in height and frame in the snap, which is another reason Raegan looks to the American champion for inspiration.

“I’ve always been advantaged with my height and long levers [limbs] but disadvantaged with my lack of size. It’s made it difficult for me to generate speed and power but knowing that Nelly has been able to build her body to make her one of the longer hitters on course gives me faith that I can reach that point if I commit to physio and gym and work with my team closely, that it’s achievable.”

Another idol Raegan was excited to spend time with in the U.S. and learn from was fellow Aussie Karrie Webb. As a recipient of a 2026 Karrie Webb Scholarship, Raegan spent a week with Karrie and attended the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Minnesota.

“I am so grateful Karrie’s able to help so many players through the scholarship program. She’s a legend and has so much knowledge that’s of use to so many players. I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity to learn from her.”

Raegan has been in stellar form over the past year: 2025 Australian Girls Junior and Victorian Amateur champion, 2026 Australian Master of the Amateurs, top five finishes in several tournaments, a hole-in-one in her debut at the Australian Open, and the jewel in her crown to date, a 3-under finish to tie fourth in the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship in the US, the best ever result by an Aussie.  

“As an overall experience I don’t think I will ever be able to top that. The Augusta course is a magical place. And having my parents, my brother, and my friends there watching, it’s something I really can’t describe. I had my coach Adrian [Wickstein] on the bag, which was a blessing as he knows my game like the back of his hand. I was very grateful but also proud of myself for the hard work I put in to get to that point.”

Raegan’s also proud that during her three Augusta rounds she only looked to Adrian to read about three of her putts. “Putting has always been a strong part of my game and Adrian has a lot of faith in my ability to read greens. It’s something that we have been working on.”

There are other aspects of her game she’s working on, including her driving and modifying her energetic follow-through to minimise injury risk.

As to her future goals, apart from wanting to play Augusta again, Raegan says, “it’s mostly internalised goals, not something I vocalise or write down. For me as a player, I am very competitive. I think the goal is always to win everywhere I go and to be the best I can be.

“That’s the umbrella goal and then I always have little ones, like working on the psych aspects and in the gym. I think I am at a point in my game where those are going to be the really big differences I can make. I could spend hours on the driving range or the putting green but if my mental game isn’t there or I’m not able to gain strength, then I’m not going to be able to improve or reach my full potential.”