The 72nd U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship begins on Monday with 13 countries and 33 states represented in the 156-player field. They will vie for the prestigious Glenna Collett Vare Trophy at Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md., which is hosting its third USGA championship and first since Brian Harman won the U.S. Junior Amateur here in 2003.
With temperatures expected to be in the low to mid-90s all week, it will be a battle of endurance as the champion and runner-up will likely play more than 150 holes over the next six days. After 36 holes of stroke play, the field will be reduced to the top 64 for match play starting on Wednesday. The championship will conclude with a 36-hole final on Saturday.
Thirteen players will be competing in at least their third U.S. Girls’ Junior, with Zoe Antoinette Campos and 2018 runner-up Alexa Pano each making their fourth appearance. Faith Choi, of Frederick, Md., has the honor of hitting the first ball of the championship at 7 a.m. EDT Monday.
Here are 3 things to look for as we head into stroke play:
Rose Returns
Rose Zhang, the No. 1 player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®, is back in Maryland with her sights set on another USGA title in the Old Line State. Eleven months ago, Zhang outlasted Gabriela Ruffels in 38 holes to win the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur at Woodmont Country Club, just six miles from Columbia.
Zhang, 18, has competed in three major championships in the last year, including a tie for 11th in the 2020 ANA Inspiration. She is coming off a missed cut in last month’s U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club. Her stellar junior career has also included a tie for third in this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, as well as appearances on victorious USA Junior Solheim Cup and Junior Ryder Cup teams.
The Irvine, Calif., native and incoming Stanford University freshman will look to become the eighth player to win both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Girls’ Junior. If she does, it would mark the first time a player has won them in that order. Zhang begins her quest on Monday at 2:21 p.m. EDT off No. 1.
The Future is Now
Players who make deep runs in the U.S. Girls’ Junior tend to have strong pro careers down the road – sometimes very soon down the road. The reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion, Yuka Saso, was the medalist and advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 Girls’ Junior at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis. A year after Hye-Jin Choi was a semifinalist in the 2016 Girls’ Junior, she nearly won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open as a 17-year-old amateur, sharing the lead on the 70th hole before finishing second, two strokes short of Sung Hyun Park.
Seven players have won the Girls’ Junior and the Women’s Open – and the list is impressive. It includes four LPGA Hall of Famers (Amy Alcott, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Inbee Park and Mickey Wright), six-time USGA champion Hollis Stacy and 2018 Women’s Open champion Ariya Jutanugarn. As the week unfolds, remember these aren’t just the best amateurs age 18 and under – they may be winning majors before the next presidential election.
Presidential Greeting
Speaking of our Commanders-in-Chief, Columbia has a strong connection to residents of the nation’s Oval Office. A century ago, when the club hosted the 1921 U.S. Open, President Warren G. Harding attended both days (the championship was 72 holes played over two days at the time) and awarded the trophy to winner Jim Barnes. It is the first and only time a sitting President has handed out the U.S. Open Trophy.
Since then, 15 of the 18 U.S. Presidents have played golf and many have teed it up on the grounds of Columbia. One, President Barack Obama (2009-2017), maintains a residence in Washington, D.C., and is a member at the club. The 44th President penned a welcome letter to all 156 contestants in this year’s field that was in their lockers upon arrival.
Referring to his home club, Obama writes, “I’ve played it more times than I will admit … I can’t wait to tune in this weekend to watch you tackle it.”
“So between your practice swings and green reading, take a moment to stop, look around and savor the experience. Because no matter what happens on the course, this is a week you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”
An already special week for these girls just got even cooler – before they ever hit a competitive shot.
Mike Trostel is the executive producer of content for the USGA. Email him at mtrostel@usga.org.
