U.S. National Junior Team Impresses with Fourth-Place Finish at Sahalee Players Championship

The U.S. National Junior Team delivered an impressive performance at the Sahalee Players Championship, finishing fourth out of 12 teams against a field stacked with some of the nation’s top collegiate programs. The juniors closed the 54-hole event at 15-over par, finishing ahead of the likes of Pepperdine, North Carolina and San Diego State, showcasing their ability to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with older, more experienced players.

Leading the way for USNDP was Tyler Watts, a 17-year-old from Huntsville, Ala., who is in his second year with the U.S. National Junior Team. Watts, who is committed to play college golf at Tennessee, posted a three-round score of 1-under par, finishing in a tie for fourth place individually out of 71 competitors.

"Competing at the Sahalee Players Championship was a very special honor that we all were able to experience," said Watts, who this summer won the Elite Amateur Series. "I am very thankful for the opportunity that me and my USNDP teammates got to have. Being able to compare our games to some of the best college golfers and being able to compete against the best college programs in the country was amazing. I had an unbelievable experience on a great golf course and challenging setup. I hope that this opportunity comes around again for juniors in the future because my experience was nothing short of special."

Jessy Huebner added another strong showing for the team, finishing in 20th place individually. Together with teammates Ronin Banerjee, Luke Colton and Tyler Mawhinney, the group made the most of this special opportunity to compete in a college-style championship environment. 

“The event could not have gone better for us,” said Zambri. “The best weeks to learn something about your game are when you play a tough course or there is some sort of pressure. We had both of those in spades this past weekend. I’m super proud of the way the guys performed and the way they embraced a difficult course setup. Just an incredible experience for us as a team.”

The result at Sahalee underscores the progress of the U.S. National Development Program in preparing the country’s top juniors for the next step in their golf journeys.