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U.S. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM

U.S. National Junior Team to Host Match Against Australia

By Julia Pine, USGA

| May 23, 2024 | Liberty Corner, N.J.

Will Hartman (left) and Gianna Clemente are two of the 12 players from the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team chosen to compete in a mixed Ryder Cup-style match against Australia at SentryWorld in July. (USGA/Edward M. Pio Roda)

The U.S. National Junior Team will host members of the Australian High Performance program for a two-day match July 2-3 at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis., creating the first-of-its-kind competition for the newly-developed U.S. National Development Program.

A World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®)-sanctioned event, the match will feature 12 players representing each nation in a mixed Ryder Cup-style format. Please note that the event is closed to the public. The format is as follows:

Tuesday, July 2 – Four-Ball Team Matches (a.m.), Foursomes Team Matches (p.m.)
Wednesday, July 3 – Singles Matches

“This match is another milestone in advancing the vision of the U.S. National Development Program by empowering elite juniors with a chance to play on the international stage,” said Chris Zambri, head coach of the U.S. National Teams. “We’re thankful to Golf Australia for partnering on this initiative, allowing our athletes to compete and learn from one another in what we hope is the first of many more events to come.”

Established earlier this year as part of the U.S. National Development Program, the U.S. National Junior Team is an 18-player roster of 10 girls and eight boys representing the country’s elite junior golf talent. It is the first of three national teams to be formed; an Amateur Team is set to be announced in 2025 followed by a Young Professional Team in 2026.

The U.S. squad for this match is composed of the top six male and top six female junior golfers on the U.S. National Junior Team based on their WAGR ranking, and on the Australian side, the roster was selected by Golf Australia’s High Performance selection committee.

“We are delighted to partner with the USGA in this exciting initiative as a first for the U.S. Team,” said Brad James, general manager of High Performance at Golf Australia (GA). “We see this as a tremendous opportunity not only from a competitive standpoint, but as a great chance for the USGA and Golf Australia to share information on high performance. Australia and the United States have a great friendship, and that applies to golf as well, not to mention a healthy rivalry that exists through all levels of the game.”

Team USA for this match is comprised of the following players:

Boys

  • Blades Brown, 17, of Nashville, Tenn.
  • Phillip Dunham, 16, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
  • Henry Guan, 15, of Irving, Texas
  • Will Hartman, 17, of Marvin, N.C.
  • Tyler Mawhinney, 16, of Fleming Island, Fla.
  • Tyler Watts, 16, of Huntsville, Ala.

Girls

  • Gianna Clemente, 16, of Estero, Fla.
  • Ryleigh Knaub, 17, of Debary, Fla.
  • Chloe Kovelesky, 17, of Boca Raton, Fla.
  • Nikki Oh, 16, of Torrance, Calif.
  • Scarlett Schremmer 17, of Birmingham, Ala.
  • Asterisk Talley, 15, of Chowchilla, Calif.
     

For more information on the U.S. players, please click here.

Team Australia is comprised of the following players:

Boys

  • Sam Cascio, 16, New South Wales, Australia
  • Josiah Edwards, 16, Western Australia, Australia
  • Hamish Farquharson, 16, Victoria, Australia
  • Spencer Harrison, 15, Western Australia, Australia
  • Kayun Mudadana, 17, New South Wales, Australia
  • Chase Oberle, 16, Queensland, Australia

Girls

  • Reagan Denton, 16, South Australia, Australia
  • Sarah Hammett, 17, Queensland, Australia
  • Amelia Harris, 15, Victoria, Australia
  • Rachel Lee, 16, New South Wales, Australia
  • Ella Scaysbrook, 18, New South Wales, Australia
  • Shyla Singh, 17, Queensland, Australia
     

Located in central Wisconsin and opened in 1982, SentryWorld was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and has since undergone significant renovations. This public, parkland course is part of a sports complex developed by Sentry Insurance, which also includes indoor tennis courts, banquet space, and restaurants.

At the heart of the 200-acre property lies the championship layout. In 2013, Jones oversaw a major renovation led by architects Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi.

SentryWorld has a rich history of hosting prestigious tournaments, including three USGA championships. Most recently, it was the venue for the 43rd U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2023, where Bernard Langer made history as the oldest U.S. Senior Open champion at age 65 and achieved his 46th PGA Tour Champions victory, surpassing the record held by five-time USGA champion Hale Irwin.

SentryWorld hosted the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 2019 when Lei (Angelina) Ye became the second USGA champion from the People’s Republic of China, and it served as the host site of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in 1986.

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