15-year-old Aphrodite Deng becomes 1st Canadian to win U.S. Girls' Junior Golf Championship

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jul 19, 2025 6:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 19

Aphrodite Deng became the archetypal Canadian victor successful U.S. Girls' Junior history, beating Chen Xingtong of Singapore 2 and 1 connected Saturday successful the 36-hole last astatine Atlanta Athletic Club.

The 15-year-old Deng won the 76th variation for her 3rd inferior large rubric of the year, pursuing the Junior Invitational astatine Sage Valley successful April and the Mizuho Americas Open successful May. She earned spots successful the U.S. Women's Open adjacent twelvemonth astatine Riviera and the U.S. Women's Amateur this twelvemonth and next.

"It truly means a lot. I conscionable can't judge that I won," Deng said. "I didn't truly deliberation astir the extremity effect due to the fact that I knew determination were a batch of bully players here. I conscionable tried to triumph each match."

Deng was calved successful Calgary and her household lived successful Montreal earlier moving to New Jersey for her dad's work. She mostly lives successful Orlando present but remains a Canadian national and plays for Golf Canada's inferior program.

Deng had a 4-up pb implicit the 16-year-old Chen — the archetypal subordinate from Singapore to scope the title lucifer — aft 18 holes. Chen chopped the shortage to 2 doubly connected the 2nd 18, the past with a par triumph connected the 34th. Deng ended it connected the 35th by matching Chen's par.

"I deliberation I stayed successful the infinitesimal passim the full match," Deng said. "I did get a small bushed astatine the end. I learned that I'm beauteous accordant and I'm beauteous good, and I deliberation that I enactment beauteous calm successful beforehand of a assemblage and cameras."