Choi, Deng Share First-Round Lead With 65s at El Caballero C.C.

What Happened

It was another scorcher in Southern California on Monday with temperatures creeping into the 90s. It was just as sizzling on the golf course at El Caballero Country Club for the opening round of stroke play at the 75th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

Nearly one-fifth of the 156-player field (30 golfers) bettered the par of 71 on the 6,365-yard Robert Trent Jones Sr. design that was recently renovated by his son, Rees.

Kylee Choi, 17, of Murrieta, Calif., and 14-year-old, rising high school freshman Aphrodite Deng, of Canada, led the way with 6-under-par 65s. Kinsley Ni, 16, of the People’s Republic of China was one stroke back, while Natalie Yen, 17, of West Linn, Ore., and Athena Singh, 15, of Morehead, Ky., were two off the pace.

Eight others, including 2023 runner-up Rianne Malixi, 17, of the Philippines, posted 3-under 68s. Also in that group were: 2023 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier Kaili Xiao, 15, of the People’s Republic of China, U.S. National Junior Team member Shyla Brown, 16, of McKinney, Texas, 2024 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier Amelie Zalsman, 15, of St. Petersburg, Fla., and 2024 Virginia State Golf Association Girls’ Junior champion Kathryn Ha, 17, of Roanoke, Va.  Ha originally failed to advance to the championship from her qualifying site but became exempt through the USGA’s new category for Allied Golf Association junior champions.

Choi, who has verbally committed to play for Pepperdine University in 2025, didn’t have to travel too far to the championship site as Murrieta is only a two-hour drive. Coming off a recent semifinal showing at the Women’s North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 and a fourth-place finish in last week’s Southern California Golf Association Women’s Amateur at nearby Saticoy Country Club, Choi continued to build on her momentum.

After opening with two consecutive birdies and then making her only bogey on No. 5, Choi played 5-under golf over her last 10 holes, capping the day with an 8-foot birdie on the 387-yard closing hole. Her 66 was a personal best, bettering a 67 the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier posted two years ago at an American Junior Golf Association event at Pronghorn Resort in Oregon.

This is her third U.S. Girls’ Junior appearance, but first since advancing to the Round of 16 in 2022 at The Club at Olde Stone, losing to semifinalist and current Arkansas Razorback Maria Jose Marin, of Colombia. That year, she beat current University of Southern California All-American and 2024 USA Curtis Cup competitor Catherine Park in the Round of 64 as the No. 60 seed. A year earlier, she lost in the Round of 64 to Kylie Chong, an incoming freshman at USC who posted an even-par 71 on Monday.

“I honestly didn’t even realize I was shooting that low,” said Choi. “I guess today was one of those days where it all clicked together.”

Deng, who lost in the Round of 32 last year to 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and current Auburn University standout Anna Davis, played nearly flawless golf as well with the only hiccup coming on the 140-yard, par-3 10th. Up to that point, she was 4 under par, and she would add three birdies coming home, including a 6-footer on No. 18.

In the past eight months, Deng owns a win in the prestigious AJGA Tournament of Champions and The Nelly Invitational. The home-schooled Deng is already No. 161 in the latest Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR® and recently claimed the New Jersey Junior Girls’ Championship. Born in Canada to Chinese parents, the family moved to Short Hills, N.J., when she was 5, but she spends most of the year in Orlando, Fla., playing and practicing.

Yen, a rising high school senior who has verbally committed to Texas A&M, made a nice run in last year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior before losing a 19-hole decision to eventual champion Kiara Romero. That gave Yen some motivation heading into this year’s championship, especially seeing what Romero did as a college freshman this past year at the University of Oregon. Although still age-eligible, Romero chose not to defend her title.

“It kind of gave me a little bit of incentive that you can play at this level,” said Yen, who also lost a 19-hole match in this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with partner Asia Young. “I’m here to … play good golf and have fun, but I definitely think I can play well.”

What’s Next

The second and final round of stroke play will take place on Tuesday, beginning at 7 a.m. PDT off the first and 10th tees. Following the round, the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers for match play, which begins on Wednesday. A playoff, if necessary, to decide the final spots is scheduled for late Tuesday afternoon, daylight permitting. Match play continues from Wednesday until Saturday’s 36-hole championship match. Admission is free and spectators are encouraged to attend.

Notable

• U.S. National Junior Team head coach Chris Zambri and his assistant, two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion and 2008 USA Curtis Cup competitor Tiffany Joh, are on property this week to watch the eight members of the team in the field. Zambri, a University of Southern California graduate, has fond memories of El Caballero, as he qualified for the U.S. Open there in 1999.
  
  
• Zambri’s son, Joey, is also a part of this week’s U.S. Girls’ Junior. He is caddying for U.S. National Junior Team member Chloe Kovelesky, one of two players in the field who competed at El Caballero when the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball was contested here in 2018. The other player is five-time U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifier Avery Zweig.
  
  
• Another interesting player-caddie combo is 2017 Drive, Chip and Putt champion Maye Huang and boyfriend, Jay Leng Jr., who also won a DCP title in 2015. Leng, a San Diego native who is headed to Stanford University this fall, will be teeing it up at next week’s U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club. Huang, a Texas resident, is getting a preview of what college will be like in 2025 when she heads to UCLA. Huang and Leng won their DCP titles in the 7-9 age division.
  
  
• Samantha Brown, a 2024 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier from Westfield, Ind., whose great-grandfather Bob Rosburg claimed the 1959 PGA title (runner-up in 1959 U.S. Open) before becoming an on-course analyst for ABC, has Purdue women’s golf coach Zack Byrd on her bag. Brown is headed to Purdue this fall.
  
  
• Megan Meng had a roller-coast Day 1, posting a front-nine 39 and coming back to card a 5-under 30 over her last nine holes to shoot 2-under 69. The 2024 Northwestern University signee from Pennington, N.J., closed with six birdies against one bogey.
  
  
• Isabel Brozena closed out her round in style by holing out a 56-degree wedge from 90 yards on the par-4 18th hole for an eagle. It concluded a wild day for the North Reading, Mass., native who got to 5 under through 10 holes, then made four consecutive bogeys from No. 12 before the deuce on 18. The 2024 Xavier University signee finished with a 3-under 68.
  
  
• Brozena’s eagle was one of three registered on par-4s on Monday. Chanel Dangela and Sophia Cao each made 2s on the 359-yard 13th hole.
  
  
• Incoming University of Southern California freshman and 2024 USA Curtis Cupper Jasmine Koo turned around an early 3-over start by playing the last 12 holes in 5 under par for a 69. At No. 8 in the WAGR, she is the highest-ranked player in the field.

Quotable

“As I’m getting older … I think I’ve matured a lot, even just compared to the beginning of this year. I think it’s all mindset. My parents and I have been working on it, because I tend to get emotional on the course. Just staying calm, whether I make a mistake or I hit a really good shot.” – Kylee Choi

“The putter was extra hot on the front. Just a couple of good par saves and a couple of missed birdie opportunities. It was a good day.” – Natalie Yen on her 4-under 67

“I hit a 9-iron [into the penalty area]. It was like 140 [yards]. That’s probably one of the most wide-open pins out here. I was feeling the nerves on the first tee (the course’s 10th hole). I tried to laugh it off.” – Kathryn Ha on shaking off an opening double bogey to still shoot 3-under 68

“I wasn’t that nervous or anything. It was kind of cool to be the first one off.” – 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball champion Asterisk Talley on hitting the opening tee shot

"My caddie and I were just really chill. After I made my double and my bogey, I was just like, 'Yeah, whatever, I'll just birdie the next few holes.' I never doubted my game or my skill, and then yeah, at the end I just went on a heater.” – 2024 USA Curtis Cupper Jasmine Koo on shooting a 2-under 69 that included three consecutive birdies to conclude the round

David Shefter is a senior staff writer at the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.