Locals Finish Play in U.S. Girls' Junior
Katie Li of Basking Ridge, N.J. Photo: USGA/Kathryn Riley
UPDATE (July 20, 2023) -- Play in the 74th U.S. Girls' Junior Championship came to a close for the remaining New Jersey competitors, Thursday, as Katie Li of Basking Ridge and Aphrodite Deng of Short Hills both dropped their round of 32 contests.
Related: U.S. Girls’ Junior Home Page | Scoring
Li, facing Kaili Xiao of the People's Republic of China, found herself in a three-hole deficit following 12 holes. While Li won Nos. 13 and 17 coming in, a tie with par fours on the last earned Xiao the spot in the Round of 16.
Deng had the tall task of taking on last year's Augusta National Women's Amateur champion Anna Davis of Spring Valley, Calif. Davis drew the first advantage with a birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. While Deng made birdie on the par-4 10th to return the match to a tie, Davis won four of the next five holes to take the 4-and-3 victory.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 20, 2023) – The 74th U.S. Junior Girls’ Championship is taking place this week on the U.S. Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course, in Colorado Springs, Colo., the first-ever U.S. military layout to host a national championship. The championship began with four New Jersey competitors representing the Met Area, with two still in the mix as play enters the Round of 32 on Thursday.
Related: U.S. Girls’ Junior Home Page | Scoring
After rounds of 76-73 in stroke play qualifying Katie Li of Basking Ridge, N.J., earned the No. 36 seed. She defeated Macy Pate of Winston Salem, N.C., 1 up on Wednesday. Li, who has committed to play collegiately at Duke, won Nos. 2 and 3 to earn a quick 2-up advantage. Though Pate won the par-4 eighth, Li took Nos. 9, 11 and 12 – all with birdies – to extend her lead to four. Pate fought back with birdie wins on Nos. 13, 15 and 17 but a tie on the last earned Li the victory and a spot in the Round of 32 where she faces Kaili Xiao of People’s Republic of China.
Aphrodite Deng, a native of Canada who now resides in Short Hills, N.J., posted scores of 71-77 in stroke play qualifying. The 13-year-old garnered the No. 31 seed and in the Round of 64 defeated Avery McCrery of Wilmington, Del., in a back-and forth match. Only two of the first 10 holes finished in a tie, with Deng winning five of those holes for a 2-up edge. A win on No. 16 returned her advantage to 2 up and a tie on the par-3 17th earned her the 2-and-1 victory. Deng now faces last year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, Anna Davis of Spring Valley, Calif., in the Round of 32.
Ysabel Liu of Short Hills also advanced to match play behind a pair of 75s in stroke play qualifying, but fell short against Canada’s Lauren Kim by a 5-and-4 margin. Sammie Dolce of Florham Park, N.J., was also in the starting field, shooting 76-77 in stroke play at Eisenhower.