Atlanta, Georgia, United States: Surpassing her own expectations, Chen Xingtong has created a slice of golfing history by becoming the first Singaporean to reach the final of the US Girls’ Junior.
Having seen off the challenge of Katelyn Kong in the quarter-finals (4&3), Chen then got the better of top seed Grace Carter (one-up) in a tense semi-final clash on Friday.
In Saturday’s 36-hole final at Atlanta Athletic Club, 16-year-old Chen will take on Canadian Aphrodite Deng.
Competing in her first US Girls’ Junior, Chen said: “It’s unbelievable for me. I didn’t even dare to imagine it when I came here to play the 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.”
Her semi-final victory over 15-year-old American Carter was a testament to her resilience.
After seeing both one-up and two-up leads slip away – including a missed five-footer to lose the 16th – Chen bounced back with a pinpoint tee shot on the par-three 17th, setting up a routine par to reclaim the lead. She then sealed her place in the final with a birdie on the 18th.
In the quarter-finals, Carter had recorded a dominant 7&5 victory over Shyla Singh, the last remaining Australian in the field.
Chen is a two-time winner of the Singapore Junior Championship and the youngest champion in the history of the Singapore Open Amateur.
The two finalists are now exempt into next month’s US Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes in Oregon, while the champion will earn an exemption into the 2026 US Women’s Open Presented by Ally at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, while also receiving a spot in the 2027 US Women’s Amateur at The Honors Course in Tennessee.
In what will be the first all-international US Girls’ Junior final since 2014, when Princess Mary Superal of the Philippines defeated Mexican Maria Jose Navarro, Chen will be aiming to emulate another Filipina.
Last year, Rianne Malixi won the US Girls’ Junior, defeating American Asterisk Talley in the final.
But it will not be easy for Chen against an opponent who has already proved she’s one of the top junior golfers in the world.
The 15-year-old’s progress to the championship match continues a dominant run that’s already included two major victories this year – at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the Mizuho Americas Open in May.
On Friday at Atlanta Athletic Club, Deng managed wins over Wake Forest University rising sophomore Chloe Kovelesky, two-up, and 17-year-old Rayee Feng, 2&1.
Deng said: “I’ve been really looking forward to this tournament, and to be able to play good is really exciting.”
