West Lafayette, Indiana, United States: Xu Ying led an impressive mainland China challenge at the 49th Junior PGA Championships.
In a high-quality field, Xu, a winner on the China LPGA Tour this year, finished tied for third at Purdue University’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
Xu posted a 72-hole total of nine-under-par 276, ending three strokes behind the winner, American Asterisk Talley.
Having begun the week in 37th place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Xu, who was joint sixth at the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific in Vietnam in March, is now likely to close in on a spot in the WAGR top-20.
Five other China representatives were among the 34 players who made it through to the final round in an event that is widely regarded as one of junior golf’s ‘Major’ championships.
Liu Yujie, the 15-year-old Shanghai native who placed second at the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and is a two-time Junior All-American tied for eighth on 279.
She was followed by Jiao Yingtong (tied 19th, 283), Grace Xu Zilin and Rebecca Wang Zige (tied 23rd, 284) and Xiao Kaili (tied 27th, 285).
There was also a strong showing from Hong Kong’s Arianna Lau. The two-time Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation Junior Girls’ champion ended in a share of sixth place on 278.
Meanwhile, four Asia-Pacific representatives were among the 32 players who completed the 72 holes in the boys’ tournament.
China’s Hou Zenghao, 227th in the WAGR, tied for fourth on 273 after rounds of 69, 66, 68 and a closing 70. His 12-under aggregate 273 was seven strokes adrift of the winner, American Lunden Esterline.
Also impressing were a trio of Australians – Spencer Harrison (tied ninth, 276) and Arrow Aarav Shah and Chase Oberle (tied 20th, 279).
The Junior PGA Championships are open to amateurs no older than 18 years of age as of August 1, 2025, and all players must have qualified through a PGA of America Section Championship or have been granted an exemption into the field.
The four-day, 72-hole championship feature 312 players – 156 girls and 156 boys playing concurrently.
Each division implemented a 36-hole cut to the low 60 scorers and ties, and a 54-hole cut to the low 30 scorers and ties.
The championship was played on the Ackerman-Allen & Kampen-Cosler Courses.
The girls’ division featured nine of America’s top 20 junior players, according to the Rolex American Junior Golf Association Rankings, highlighted by number two Talley, number five Liu Yujie and number six Anna Fang.
The top male junior golfers competing in the championship included nine of the top 20 junior players, including number three Luke Colton, number seven Giuseppe Puebla and number eight Jessy Huebner. Also in the field was Charlie Woods, son of 82-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods, who won the 2025 Team TaylorMade Invitational in May. He finished tied for ninth.
Among previous participants are Tiger Woods, Rose Zhang, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Lexi Thompson, Yuka Saso, Scottie Scheffler, Akshay Bhatia and Park In-bee.
