Wake Forest Tops First WGCA Women's Golf Poll of 2026-27
By Staff Writer
2 min read
LoopGolf
Wake Forest opened the 2026-27 season atop the Women's Golf Coaches Association Division I poll, released Friday after the Demon Deacons won both the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Jackson T. Stephens Cup to start the year.
Who else made the Division I top five?
USC, which received two first-place votes, sits second. Florida, Oregon and Auburn round out the top five. Defending-champion contender Stanford, winner of three of the last five NCAA titles, checks in at No. 11. North Carolina, LSU and Northwestern lead the group of teams receiving votes outside the ranked field.
Who leads the other divisions?
Dallas Baptist tops the Division II poll ahead of Findlay, Anderson, Barry and North Georgia. Emory is No. 1 in Division III, followed by Carnegie Mellon, New York University, Washington University in St. Louis and Middlebury. SCAD leads the NAIA poll after winning both the Wildcat Fall Invitational and The Battle @ Black Diamond, with Keiser second on the strength of two first-place votes.
A fast start to the fall is already reshuffling the national picture before a single spring event is played.
| Division | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division I | Wake Forest | USC | Florida |
| Division II | Dallas Baptist | Findlay | Anderson |
| Division III | Emory | Carnegie Mellon | NYU |
| NAIA | SCAD | Keiser | Dalton State |
Key takeaways
- Wake Forest is No. 1 in the first WGCA Division I women's golf poll of 2026-27.
- USC (two first-place votes) is second, ahead of Florida, Oregon and Auburn.
- Stanford, winner of three of the last five NCAA titles, is ranked 11th.
- Dallas Baptist, Emory and SCAD lead Division II, Division III and the NAIA, respectively.
Frequently asked questions
Who is No. 1 in the WGCA Division I women's golf poll?
Wake Forest opened the 2026-27 season atop the poll after wins at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and the Jackson T. Stephens Cup.
Where is Stanford ranked in the preseason women's golf poll?
Stanford, winner of three of the last five NCAA titles, is ranked 11th.
Who leads the WGCA Division II and Division III polls?
Dallas Baptist leads Division II and Emory leads Division III.
What is the WGCA?
The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, represents more than 750 coaches across the country and promotes women's collegiate golf.
- wake forest
- wgca poll
- college golf
- womens college golf
- usc golf
- stanford golf
- ncaa golf
