It’s time again for the best girls in the world to battle it out in the biggest junior event.
The 74th U.S. Girls’ Junior begins Monday at United States Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The event will be the first USGA championship conducted on a military base. The site was originally scheduled to host in 2020, but COVID-19 canceled that championship.
Last year, Yana Wilson of Henderson, Nevada, defeated Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida, 3 and 2, in the 36-hole championship match at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Both are back in the field this week.
Here’s everything you need to know for the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior.
Course details
Venue: U.S. Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Opened: 1959
Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Rating/Slope: 77.9/151
Elevation: 6,788 feet
Yardages
Hole 1: 361 yards (par 4)
Hole 2: 393 yards (par 4)
Hole 3: 162 yards (par 3)
Hole 4: 365 yards (par 4)
Hole 5: 565 yards (par 5)
Hole 6: 412 yards (par 4)
Hole 7: 143 yards (par 3)
Hole 8: 420 yards (par 4)
Hole 9: 552 yards (par 5)
OUT: 3,373 yards (par 36)
Hole 10: 384 yards (par 4)
Hole 11: 546 yards (par 5)
Hole 12: 370 yards (par 4)
Hole 13: 133 yards (par 3)
Hole 14: 392 yards (par 4)
Hole 15: 405 yards (par 4)
Hole 16: 568 yards (par 5)
Hole 17: 206 yards (par 3)
Hole 18: 411 yards (par 4)
IN: 3,415 yards (par 36)
TOTAL: 6,788 yards (par 72)
TV information
Friday, July 21 (Semifinals)
- 5 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Peacock)
- 8 p.m.-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, tape delayed)
Saturday, July 22 (Championship match)
- 5 p.m.-7 p.m. ET (Peacock)
- 8 p.m.-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel, tape delayed)
Players to watch
Gianna Clemente: The 2022 runner-up, Clemente won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball earlier this year. She finished T-14 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in March as the youngest player in the field.
Anna Davis: It shouldn’t be a surprise to see Davis contend this week. The Auburn commit won the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and captured the 2023 Girls Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. She’s the highest-ranked player in the field (No. 4 in World Amateur Golf Ranking)
Ting-Hsuan Huang: Winner of the 2022 Asia-Pacific Women’s Amateur, the UCLA signee also played in the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach and is the third-highest ranked player (No. 30) in the field.
Yana Wilson: Wilson, the defending champion, is committed to Oregon. She defeated Davis in the 2022 Annika Invitational and has competed in two Augusta National Women’s Amateurs and the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open.
Jeneath Wong: Wong is one of four current college players in the field. She recently completed her freshman year at Pepperdine, where she helped the Waves into the match play portion of the NCAA Championship.
Field facts
Youngest Competitor: Mia Clausen (12 years, 11 months and 25 days old), is the championship’s youngest competitor. Baobao Niuniu Zhao turns 13 on July 16, the day before stroke play begins.
Oldest Competitors: Ashley Kim (18 years, 11 months and 17 days old) is the championship’s oldest competitor. Jillian Friyia is 18 years, 11 months and 16 days old, as of July 17.
Average Age of Field: 16.35
Field breakdown by age:
12: 1 player
13: 7 players
14: 16 players
15: 13 players
16: 34 players
17: 46 players
18: 39 players
International: There are 13 countries represented: Australia (1), Canada (10), Chinese Taipei (4), Hong Kong, China (2), Japan (3), Malaysia (1), Mexico (3), New Zealand (1), People’s Republic of China (5), Philippines (3), Thailand (4), the United States of America (118) and Venezuela (1).
U.S. States Represented: There are 33 states represented: Alabama (3), Arizona (4), California (25), Colorado (1), Delaware (2), Florida (9), Georgia (3), Hawaii (3), Idaho (1), Illinois (5), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (2), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (2), Minnesota (4), Missouri (2), Nebraska (2), Nevada (3), New Jersey (5), New York (1), North Carolina (6), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (4), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (13), Utah (1), Virginia (1), Washington (4) and Wisconsin (2).
USGA Champions (4): Yana Wilson, (2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Gianna Clemente (2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Avery Zweig (2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Sara Im (2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball)
USGA Runners-Up (3): Gianna Clemente (2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Kaitlyn Schroeder (2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball) Bailey Shoemaker (2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball)
Bailey Shoemaker and Avery Zweig are making their fourth U.S. Girls’ Junior stars.
There are four current college players in the field: Leia Chung, 18, (Boise State); Kaitlyn Schroeder, 18, (Alabama); Allyn Stephens, 18, (Texas A&M); Jeneath Wong, 18, (Pepperdine). Meanwhile, there are 43 players who have signed national letters of intent with colleges for this fall.
Eight players competed in the U.S. Women’s Open, all of them missing the cut.
Championship format
Monday, July 17: First round of stroke play, 18 holes
Tuesday, July 18: Second round of stroke play, 18 holes
The low 64 after 36 holes of stroke play will advance to match play. If necessary, a playoff will be conducted to cut down to 64 players.
Wednesday, July 19: Round of 64, match play
Thursday, July 20: Round of 32, Round of 16 match play
Friday, July 21: Quarterfinals, semifinals of match play
Saturday, July 22: Championship match, 36 holes
What does the winner receive?
- A gold medal
- Custody of the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy for one year
- Exemptions into all future U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships for which she is age-eligible
- Exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open Championship
- Exemptions into the 2023 and 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships
- Invitation to the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur
For those attending
To access the United States Air Force Academy campus, all guests will be required to go through the either the North or South security gates. The USGA and USAFA recommend all championship guests utilize the South Security Gate.
When entering the gate, all occupants in the vehicle over the age of 18 will need to be ready to present identification. Valid forms of identification include a driver’s license or a passport, and expired IDs will not be accepted. You may be asked to share additional information such as proof of insurance, vehicle registration or car rental agreement.
All vehicles are subject to inspection by security personnel. As a reminder, since USAFA is federal property, weapons and drugs are not permitted onsite. Since all USAFA guests pass through the same gate, please understand that it there could be a wait to proceed through the security entrance. Please plan accordingly.
