A Family Affair: Romero Sisters Ready for First Major Together

The bond between sisters Kiara and Kaleiya Romero, as one might expect, already runs deep, but this week the siblings will add another chapter to their shared story. On Thursday, the pair will tee it up in the 81st U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at The Riviera Country Club, marking a significant milestone in both their individual and intertwined golf careers.

Before becoming one of only nine sets of sisters to compete in the same U.S. Women’s Open, the Romero duo spent years dominating junior golf, steadily climbing the ranks in their home state of California.

Born and raised in San Jose, Kaleiya, 23, and Kiara, 20, were introduced to the game at a young age when their grandparents gifted each of them a set of golf clubs.

From that day forward, the sisters competed alongside one another along with their brother Kyreece, the middle child of the Romero clan, whom both sisters describe as their “best friend.”

"Growing up with siblings and friends that you could play with made the game a lot more fun,” said Kaleiya, who graduated from Pepperdine University, in Malibu, just a short drive from this week’s venue. “We were never out there [on the golf course] alone. We always had each other to practice with and compete against.”

The Romero children had a childhood that might seem uncommon by today's standards. Their parents, Rick and Maricel, did not allow the siblings to have cell phones, instead encouraging them to spend time together outdoors and dedicate themselves to improving their craft.

That investment paid off as all three siblings earned college golf scholarships, beginning with Kaleiya, who matriculated at Pepperdine in 2020.

The eldest Romero sister played for the Waves from 2020-24, where she was a four-time All-West Coast Conference first-team selection, won the 2023 West Coast Conference Championship and the 2021 Dick McGuire Invitational.

Following her successful college career, a jump to professional golf was the expectation.

Instead, Kaleiya decided to take the road less traveled and make a pit stop in Eugene, Ore., to reunite with her younger sister and brother Kyreece, at the University of Oregon, as a graduate assistant for the women’s golf team.

Prior to their reunion in 2024, Kiara joined the Oregon women’s golf team in 2023 – coming to the program as the No. 1 player in the 2023 high school recruiting class thanks to her triumph at the 2023 U.S. Girls' Junior, where she defeated Rianne Malixi, 1–up, at the United States Air Force Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Course.

Kiara wasted little time making an impact on the college golf world, becoming the first Oregon player to be named the National Freshman of the Year, while also becoming the second player in program history to earn first-team All-American honors by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, ultimately shattering the Ducks’ single-season scoring record with a 70.84 average that season.

There was no sophomore slump for Romero, who played in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club, and reached the Round of 32 in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Southern Hills Country Club. It was that summer of 2024 that the two sisters began to discuss the idea of Kaleiya joining the Oregon staff.

After weighing her options, Kaleiya moved to Oregon and joined head coach Derek Radley's staff. The decision came with an added bonus: a reunion with her younger siblings, Kiara and Kyreece, who had just completed their first seasons as members of Oregon's women's and men's golf teams, respectively.

It also gave Kaleiya the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree, while seeing another side of college golf from one of the country’s top coaches.  

“I learned so much coaching alongside him,” said Kaleiya. “He taught me a lot about how to map out a golf course... To see how he looks at a course, what kind of notes he takes and what kind of information he gives the girls, changed a lot for me. When I was in college, I was very much a see ball, hit ball type of player, so to be able to learn from him was super helpful.”

For Kiara, having her sister on Oregon’s staff was seemingly the key to unlocking even more success, as her sophomore season surpassed what she did as a freshman.

With Kaleiya championing her from the sidelines, Kiara became the first Duck to earn First-team All-America honors twice. She also was named the 2025 Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Year, won the Big Ten individual championship and captured the NCAA Gold Canyon (Ariz.) Regional title -- where she also set a program record with a 10-under 62 in the second round at Superstition Mountain Golf Club, the lowest round in Oregon history.

“[Kaleiya] just joining us at Oregon, it was a lot of fun,” said Kiara. “Our brother plays at Oregon with me, so we already had two of us up there, why not add a third. I told her to come up for the year, hang out and practice together, and it was just like the old times when we were all just playing golf together every single day. We’re all best friends so it was a lot of fun.”

Kiara capped off her sensational 2024-25 season with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship before making a quick turnaround to compete in her second U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, in Erin, Wis., where she followed a disappointing third-round 84 with a sensational 67 on Sunday to earn a share of 45th.

For a moment, it looked like the sisters would share the stage at Erin Hills, as Kaleiya was the first alternate at the Arrowhead Golf Club qualifier, in Molalla, Ore., the same venue where Kiara was the medalist. Instead, that distinction would be saved for this year’s championship at The Riviera Country Club, where, for the first time after years of competing in junior golf, caddying for one another and playing in the same tournaments, the sisters will compete on the biggest stage in women’s golf.

“Growing up, we always dreamed about doing this together. It was never just me playing in a major, or her playing in a major. It was always both of us,” said Kiara. “I feel like this week is giving us a little glimpse of our future, and it’s just really fun.”

For Kaleiya, this week's milestone is made even more meaningful because of how close she came to sharing the experience with her sister a year ago.

“It’s super cool. Last year, I was a first alternate, so I was out there doing practice rounds with Kiara and was thinking to myself, ‘Dang, it would be super fun if we were out there together,’ she said. “So, to finally qualify for the U.S. Women's Open ... It's an amazing opportunity, and for it to be here in California, which is where we’re from. We have a lot of family and friends that are going to come out and support.”

Since finishing her time on Oregon’s coaching staff, Kaleiya turned professional, making her Epson Tour debut earlier this year. To date, she is 7-for-7 in made cuts, finishing inside of the top 10 in nearly half of those starts (3). The 23-year-old also leads the circuit in strokes gained off the tee (1.65).

The sisters’ skill and knack for the sport will be tested this week, as both had never stepped on the grounds of Riviera.

“I mean obviously the USGA sets up any course to play as hard as it can, so it’s always fun playing in these championships,” said Kiara, No. 1 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking® who will stay in Los Angeles to compete in next week’s Curtis Cup Match at nearby Bel-Air Country Club. Just kind of navigating the course the best that we can changes the game a bit, especially when it’s not a drive, chip and putt course.”

On the flip side, the challenge of Riviera and the pressure of the global stage will be softened by the support system surrounding the Romero sisters this week.

For Kaleiya, a return to Southern California provided an opportunity to reconnect with former teammates and close friends from her time at Pepperdine.

“I met a bunch of my friends last night,” she said after Sunday's practice round. “Kiara came, one of my former teammates was there, some of my old roommates and one of my closest friends at Pepperdine. We all ended up in Santa Monica, so it was super awesome. I haven’t been back since I graduated because I moved straight to Eugene ... so it was great.”

The sisters are also supported by their caddies, Kyreece for Kaleiya and Coach Radley for Kiara. Each has been there for their partner almost every step of the way and will provide both the support of a close friend and wise counselor.

“He’s really helped me grow, both as a person and as a player,” said Kiara on her relationship with her head coach. “His information out there is unbelievable. He caddied for his wife (former Sara Brown) on tour for a couple of years and he’s really good at course management and things of that nature. I think the most important part is that he’s really a family member for us. Both Kaleiya and I are very close with him, and he knows how to calm me down when I’m out there... we can just joke around and have fun and not make it too serious out on the course.”

Harkening back to a comment Kiara made earlier in the week, this historic moment for the Romero family may very well be the first of many shared major appearances for the sisters.

For now, however, Riviera is the focus.

When Thursday’s first round arrives, the journey that began with a pair of golf clubs from their grandparents and countless rounds together across California will culminate in a milestone neither sister will soon forget.

Austin Eames is the USGA’s summer communications intern. Email him at aeames@usga.org.