Who is Julia Lopez Ramirez? Meet the LPGA rookie making waves at the 2025 U.S. Women's Open

Spanish golfer Julia Lopez Ramirez is making waves at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open. While the top of the leaderboard is filled with known names like Nelly Korda and Maja Stark, Ramirez has outdone the World No. 1 and sits in the second spot on the leaderboard.

Ramirez, born on February 11, 2003, in Málaga, Spain, is a rising star in professional golf and a member of the LPGA Tour. Her rise through the amateur golf ranks culminated in 2024 when she reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, a result of consistent performances across Europe and the United States.

In 2019, Ramirez earned a podium finish at the British Girls U16 Amateur Championship, placing third. Two years later, she advanced to the final of the Spanish International Ladies Amateur Championship at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla, where she finished runner-up to Carla Bernat.

Julia Lopez Ramirez also played a significant role on Spain’s national teams in her amateur years. In 2021, she helped Spain secure the title at the European Girls’ Team Championship in Portugal. She continued her success in team competition by contributing to Spain’s victory at the European Ladies’ Team Championship in Finland in 2023. That same season, she joined Carla Bernat and Cayetana Fernández to represent Spain at the Espirito Santo Trophy, where the trio finished third overall.

Ramirez's steady progression, highlighted by both individual and team accomplishments, has established her as one of the top amateur players in the world ahead of her move to the professional ranks.

Ramirez attended Mississippi State University from 2021 to 2024, where she was a standout on the women’s golf team. In her collegiate career, she won eight individual tournaments and captured back-to-back SEC Women’s Golf Championship titles in 2023 and 2024. Her dominance earned her the honor of 2023 SEC Golfer of the Year.

One of Julia Lopez Ramirez's most notable amateur victories came in the 2023 European Ladies Amateur in Sweden. In the final round, she closed with three consecutive birdies to secure a two-stroke victory over Carla Bernat and finish three shots ahead of then-world number one Ingrid Lindblad. The win qualified her for the 2023 AIG Women’s British Open.