Chen Xingtong makes US Girls' Junior C'ship final, first S'porean golfer to achieve the feat

Straits Times

19-07-2025

Chen Xingtong books her spot in the US Girls' Junior Championship final after upsetting American top seed Grace Carter in the semi-finals.
SINGAPORE – Chen Xingtong made history on July 18 by becoming the first Singaporean golfer to reach the final of the US Girls' Junior Championship.
The 16-year-old will face Canada's Aphrodite Deng in the 36-hole championship match on July 19, after upsetting American top seed Grace Carter 1 up in the semi-finals.
At the Atlanta Athletic Club's Riverside Course in Johns Creek, Georgia, Xingtong had to dig deep against Grace in the semi-finals, as she lost 1-up and 2-up leads.
But she reclaimed the lead after parring the par-three 17th, which Grace bogeyed, maintaining the advantage as both golfers birdied No. 18.
Meanwhile, Aphrodite, 15, continued her fine form to earn her spot in the final after beating the United States' Rayee Fang 2 and 1 in their semi-final match-up.
She is chasing her third major junior victory in 2025, after wins at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and the Mizuho Americas Open.
Xingtong told the United States Golf Association website: 'It's unbelievable for me. I didn't even dare to imagine it when I came here to play US Girls'.
'I'm just so grateful for this opportunity, to be able to come to the US, it's so far away from Singapore. It's my first time here, so I'm really grateful for this opportunity to play my best.'
The teenager booked her berth at the US Girls' Junior Championship after winning a qualifying event in June, joining compatriot Guo Junxi, who had already earned her place through a top-two finish at an earlier competition.
In Georgia, Xingtong entered the matchplay round as the fifth seed after finishing two rounds of strokeplay at five-under 137 alongside three others and a stroke behind leader Grace. Junxi also advanced to the matchplay round, placing joint-45th in the strokeplay round with a four-over 146.
A 6 and 5 defeat by Canada's Clairey Lin saw Junxi exit the tournament in the round of 64. In the meantime, Xingtong marched to a historic spot in the final with victories over America's Macie Rasmussen (2 up), Australia's Amelia Harris (6 and 4), and the US' Mia Clausen (3 and 2) and Katelyn Kong (4 and 3), before eliminating Grace in the semi-finals.
An appearance in the final guarantees both Xingtong and Aphrodite a spot in the Aug 4-10 US Women's Amateur Championship, with the winner also exempt for the 2026 US Women's Open.
The first 18 holes of the final will start at 8.15am (8.15pm, Singapore time) on July 19, while the next 18 holes will be contested from 3pm (July 20, 3am, Singapore time) after a lunch break.
The US Girls' Junior Championship has been a stepping stone for many of the world's top players, including two-time LPGA champion Rose Zhang, Australian triple Major winner Minjee Lee, as well as former world No. 1 and two-time Major champion Ariya Jutanugarn and South Korea's Olympic gold medallist Park In-bee, who has won seven Majors.
This is Xingtong's first appearance at the tournament. The world No. 291 amateur has made strides in her fledgling career, clinching her first international title at the 2023 Selangor Amateur Open.
At the 2024 Singapore Open Amateur Championships, she became the youngest player to win the women's title at 15.