WEST CALDWELL, N.J. — At 15, Mia Clausen has already learned what it sounds like when her name is called next to Rose Zhang's.

The Carlsbad High School sophomore tied for 21st last weekend at the Mizuho Americas Open at Mountain Ridge Country Club, posting 126 Stableford points over four rounds in a field that mixed LPGA Tour professionals with 24 of the top juniors in the country. Clausen was one of only 24 American Junior Golf Association invitees, sharing fairways with host Michelle Wie West, Zhang, Yealimi Noh, Patty Tavatanakit, Andrea Lee and Alison Lee.

“Insane. It feels like a dream.” — Mia Clausen, to The Coast News

It is also rapidly becoming her new normal. Clausen, a 2026 U.S. National Junior Team member and 2025 Rolex Junior All-America Honorable Mention, has now banked four top-25 finishes this year, climbing to No. 54 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.

A schedule that keeps escalating

Clausen opened 2026 with a tie for third at the Junior Orange Bowl International Championship in early January (68-69-72-74—283), followed by a T-15 at the Fortinet Stanford Invitational hosted by Rose Zhang in February. In March she finished fourth at the K.J. Choi Foundation Texas Junior Championship — three rounds in the 60s, capped by a closing 68 to total 11-under 205 — before a T-19 at the Sacramento Junior Championship in April set up the trip to New Jersey.

Last summer told the same story: a T-9 at the 76th U.S. Girls' Junior at Atlanta Athletic Club, a T-14 at the Girls Junior PGA Championship, and a top-10 finish at the Rolex Tournament of Champions to close the AJGA season.

How she got the USNJT call

In December, the USGA named Clausen to its 2026 U.S. National Junior Team, the program's largest class to date at 24 players. She is one of three players promoted off Team Southern California from the USNDP State Junior Team pipeline, alongside Eliana Saga and Jaden Soong.

“We are very excited about this group going into year three of our U.S. National Junior Team. We’ve seen tremendous growth over the first two years in our athletes and are excited to build on that momentum.” — Chris Zambri, USNDP head coach

Membership brings year-round coaching, sports psychology and nutrition support — resources Clausen now leans on while continuing to play out of Carlsbad.

Two AJGA titles, two very different finishes

Clausen has two career AJGA victories to her name. The first came in June 2024 at the PGA WEST Junior Championship in La Quinta, where she closed at 3-under 213 for her first win — her fifth AJGA top-10 in the process.

“It feels really great to have my hard work pay off at such a beautiful and challenging course,” she said at the time.

The second arrived 10 months later at the Golf Performance Academy Junior Championship in April 2025, where she matched Emily Song of Irvine at 2-over 218 and then made birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win it.

“I had to mentally reset before the playoff. But I stuck to my game, and I think that’s what made me come out on top in the end.” — Mia Clausen, after winning the 2025 Golf Performance Academy Junior Championship

Local roots, growing reach

Long before the AJGA national stage, Clausen was a fixture on the San Diego Junior Golf Association circuit, where she was a two-time Player of the Year in her age group. She turned heads early — at age 11 she already stood 5-foot-7 and was carrying her drives roughly 220 yards.

What’s next is straightforward enough: a summer slate that should once again include the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the AJGA’s marquee invitationals, plus continued tracking on the PING Junior Solheim Cup rankings, where the early 2026 list has already been released.

For a 15-year-old who just spent four days in a Mizuho group sheet next to LPGA winners, “dream” is starting to sound like the wrong word.

Quotes from Mia Clausen on the Mizuho Americas Open via The Coast News (Noah Perkins). Quotes from her 2024 and 2025 AJGA wins via AJGA tournament recaps. Tournament results via AJGA.org. National team selection details via the USGA.