Vanessa Borovilos led Canadians on Wednesday with a 2-under 70

SINGAPORE – The United States stands atop the leaderboard following the opening round of the 31st Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) in Singapore.

The U.S. shot a collective score of 8-under to hold a one-shot lead over defending champion, Republic of Korea (Korea). Farah O’Keefe, ranked No. 7 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), led the way with a 5-under 67 for the Americans and also leads the individual standings by one over a trio of players including 2024 World Junior Girls Golf Championship team and individual winner Soomin Oh of Korea, Aira Nagasawa (Japan) and Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (Spain).

Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. led the way for Canada with a 2-under 70 and sits T9, just three shots back in the individual battle. Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. contributed to the team score with an even par 72. Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. is also representing Canada and shot a 1-over 73 on Wednesday. The two lowest scores count towards the team total each day.

Borovilos grabbed back-to-back birdies on Hole Nos. 6 and 7 and closed her round bogey-free with 11 consecutive pars.

“Well, weather, there’s no doubt it’s hot… Honestly, this grass is so nice to hit off of. Being from Toronto, it’s a bit different. I’ve just enjoyed hitting shots off these fairways,” said Borovilos following her round on Wednesday as temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius, feeling closer to 42 degrees Celsius with the heat index.

Trailing the United States (-8) and Korea (-7) are Spain at 5-under, England and the People’s Republic of China at 3-under, with Canada, Thailand and Japan tied for sixth at 2-under. Denmark and Sweden are tied for ninth at even par to round out the top 10.

Individually, 22 players are within four shots or less of O’Keefe’s lead. For both the team and individual leaderboard, please click here.

The second round will tee off at 7:15 a.m. (Thursday) in Singapore, 7:15 p.m. EDT (Wednesday). For tee times, please click here.

Women’s teams will compete October 1-4 and Men’s teams from
October 8-11 in Singapore

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada announced Friday the roster that will represent Canada at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships, taking place at the Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) in Singapore.

The 31st playing of the Women’s competition for the Espirito Santo Trophy will run October 1-4, while the 34th edition of Men’s competition for the Eisenhower Trophy will follow from October 8-11.

Representing Canada on the women’s team will be Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. The women’s team will be led by coach Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S.

“We are very proud to name our women’s and men’s teams that will represent Canada at the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships this fall in Singapore,” said Emily Phoenix, Director, High Performance, Golf Canada. “Both teams are comprised with a good mix of experience on the national and international level and we are very confident both rosters will compete and represent Canada proudly.”

Kim is currently ranked No. 17 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and will be making her third appearance for Canada at the World Amateur Team Championships. Kim is heading into her junior season at the University of Texas following a memorable sophomore year. Kim captured her second collegiate title at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and earned eight top 10 finishes last season. Kim also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for a second consecutive year, finishing T14 to tie the best-ever Canadian finish at the prestigious championship. Borovilos (No. 44 WAGR) recently set the record for the lowest round of stroke play in the 125-year history of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship earlier this month at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Ore. Borovilos also qualified and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in May. Borovilos is heading into her sophomore year at Texas A&M University. Last year, she earned her first collegiate title at The Chevron Collegiate along with three additional runner-up finishes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Xing (No. 147 WAGR) recently won the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. The 17-year-old was the only player under par for the tournament and won the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots. All three players recently competed in the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open in Mississauga, Ont.

Team Canada on the men’s side will be represented by Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Isaiah Ibit or Orleans, Ont. and Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. The men’s team will be led by coach Benoit Lemieux of Montreal, Que.

McCulloch, the 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion is currently the lowest ranked Canadian male on WAGR at No. 38. McCulloch is in his final year at Michigan State University and competed in his second consecutive RBC Canadian Open in June. McCulloch appeared in three tournaments before missing the remainder of his 2025 season with Michigan State due to injury. McCulloch enjoyed a successful 2024 season with Michigan State, earning a victory at the Johnnie-O at Sea Island and five top five finishes as well as finishing the year with the best scoring average in program history. He will be making his second consecutive appearance for Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship. Ibit is entering his second year at Kent State University. Last season, Ibit was named the MAC Freshman of the Year and earned a T3 finish at the Hal Williams Collegiate. Ibit (No. 402 WAGR) was runner-up last month at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship after losing in a playoff. The 2024 Canadian Junior Boys champion will be making his debut at the World Amateur Team Championship. Matthews will also be making his debut in October. Matthews (No. 237 WAGR) is entering his senior year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was named a 2024-25 Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar. Last season, Matthews earned a pair of collegiate top five finishes including a runner-up at the Gators Invitational.

The World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur golf tournament that is conducted by the International Golf Federation. Both events consist of 72 holes of stroke play with teams of three players. Each round, the two lowest scores will comprise the team score for that round.

In 2023, the Republic of Korea won the Espirito Santo Trophy for the fifth time. Canada has earned four silver medals in tournament history in 1966, 1978, 2004 and 2014. The 2014 was represented by 14-time LPGA Tour tournament winner, Brooke Henderson, Brittany Marchand and Augusta James.

The United States will be defending the Eisenhower Trophy, after winning the title for the 16th time in 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Canada won the 1986 gold medal and was represented by Mark Brewer, Brent Franklin, Jack Kay Jr., Warren Sye and was captained by Doug Brewer. Canada has also earned five additional silver medals (2014, 2006, 1978, 1964, 1962) and one bronze in 1968.

For more information on the 2025 World Amateur Team Championships, please click here.

England’s Charlotte Naughton holds on to win individual honours with crucial par save on 18

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Republic of Korea (Korea) battled the swirling winds but successfully defended their title, becoming the first back-to-back champions in tournament history at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont., on Saturday.

Korea opened the final round with a 10-shot cushion but dropped a couple strokes early in the day to bring the field back into contention. In the end, they persevered through the elements to win the world championship for a record fourth time in the tournament’s ten-year history.

“This week they performed very well, especially the first one for Yeonseo Kim, it was her first time to come to Canada and the first time for a national team event but still she played tremendously,” said Korea Coach Min Naon. “Today, they knew their score, so they tried to not make big numbers, and it worked. It wasn’t an easy day for us, but they hung on to the end.”

On Saturday, Yun Seo Yang’s even par 72 and Seojin Park’s 1-over 73 counted towards the team’s total, with Korea finishing the tournament at 20-under (141-135-135-145-556), winning by seven strokes over past champions, Team Canada 1 and Spain.

This was the third year for both Naon and Park representing Korea at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and the coach was reflective on her time working with Park and last year’s individual champion, Soomin Oh.

“Very special to me. Seojin and Soomin were my first girls that I worked with, and they really love to come to Canada and Golf Canada, and we really appreciate it every year and I can see they’re growing up so that’s very good,” she said.

The win gives Korea two championships along with a runner-up finish in the three years that Naon has coached the team.

“We play many big tournaments but for me, this event is very special. Three years ago, when I came here, it was the first event, and winning again is very special for me.”

As Korea battled on Saturday, Team Canada 1 shot up the leaderboard led by Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C.’s 3-under 69 and Shauna Liu’s even par 72. Canada continued to chip away at the lead, pulling to within five shots of the leaders as they made the turn on Saturday.

“We got off to a pretty good start today and when we made the turn we got it to 15-under and all the girls were playing really well and I looked and saw Korea was coming back maybe a little bit so there was a second there I thought maybe we could get this done, because I know the girls are capable of shooting a really low number,” said Team Canada 1 Coach Jeff MacDonald.

Like Naon, MacDonald was coaching in his third tournament with Team Canada 1 and have earned three successful podium finishes, winning gold in 2023 and consecutive runner-up finishes.

MacDonald praised his team’s depth and resiliency this week, “they’re great teammates. They really play for each other, which is great. Canada 2 had a great result this week, which is so encouraging for our program, it shows the depth that we have, and things are looking good.” Team Canada 1 was also represented by Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont.

Xing and MacDonald will also represent Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore next month along with Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. and Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.

Team Canada 2 had their best finish in tournament history finishing in sixth place at 8-under and were led by Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. who finished the tournament at 9-under and as runner-up in the individual component. Ding’s 1-under 71 and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta.’s even par 72 counted for the team on Saturday. Team Canada 2 was also represented by Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C.

Two-time champions, Spain shared runner-up honours with Canada 1 at 13-under. France and England tied for fourth at 9-under. Mexico (6-under), Italy (2-under), Colombia and Sweden (even par) rounded out the top 10 and all receive exemptions into next year’s championship.

The individual championship provided much drama in the final round as England’s Charlotte Naughton held on to win the gold medal and with it an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open.

“It feels amazing, I am actually speechless,” said Naughton shortly after having water dumped on her by her teammates on the 18th green. “I am really excited to play against the top golfers in the world,” she added in regard to her exemption.

Naughton opened the day with a two-shot lead over Kim but opened with bogey on No. 1 to tighten the leaderboard although not for very long. She carded back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 to open a four-shot lead over Kim who bogeyed the third. Naughton’s lead increased to five with another birdie on No 6. Playing ahead of Naughton was Ding who moved into solo second and within four of the leader following a birdie of her own on No. 8.

Ding’s birdie at No. 12 coupled with a bogey from Naughton on 14 trimmed her lead to two with only few holes remaining. Ding later dropped a stroke on 18 to finish at 9-under. Naughton’s double bogey on the par 3 17th meant she was only carrying a one-shot lead heading to the 18th.

On the final hole, Naughton’s approach found a green side bunker. As the crowd watched in muted anticipation, Naughton’s perfect sand save gave her an opportunity to make par and win the title.

Putting had been the strongest part of her game all week in St. Catharines, and the flat stick did not fail her on 18 as she coolly rolled it in for the win.

“It was very stressful out there. I made a lot of up and downs and holed a few putts but towards the back nine I had a lot of chances, but the ball just wouldn’t go in the hole. So, when I knew I had to hole out it was a nice straight up hill putt, so it was good,” said a relieved Naughton.

Naughton finished the tournament at 10-under following rounds of 70-66-68-74-278 and while she has enjoyed a successful season, this win has moved to a prominent spot in her young career, “definitely number one,” she said with a big smile.

There won’t be much rest for Naughton as she will now head to the 2025 Junior Ryder Cup at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. next week to represent both England and Europe.

Adriana Garcia Terol (Spain), Lin and Park finished tied for third at 7-under. Nagore Martinez (Spain) and Kim finished tied for sixth at 6-under.

In total, a field of 23 teams and 69 players in total competed for team and individual honours. Naughton, Ding, Garcia Terol, Lin and Park will also earn exemptions into the 112th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont., July 20-24, 2026.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

For the final team and individual leaderboard, following the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, please click here.

England’s Charlotte Naughton maintains individual lead, Yunseo Kim
two back after setting women’s competitive course record on Friday

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Republic of Korea (Korea) are looking to become the first country to repeat as champions, following another strong performance on Friday. Korea will take a 10-shot lead into the final round at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

For the second straight day, Korea was led by Yeonseo Kim who recorded a 7-under 65 to set the new women’s competitive course record at St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.

All three Korean players were under par again on Friday, with Yun Seo Yang’s 2-under 70 contributing to the team total of 9-under on the day, pushing the defending champions to 21-under overall and leading France by 10 strokes. Teammate Seojin Park carded a 1-under 71; the two lowest scores of the day count towards the team total.

“I am really proud of my team,” said Republic of Korea Coach Min Naon. “Some girls played their best round, and some did not but they hung on to the end and try to make no bogeys and wait for birdies.”

Even with a sizeable lead, Naon will talk to her team tonight and said they will “perform like it’s the first day” going into Saturday.

Spain got off to a hot start in the morning to pull even with Korea through the opening five holes, until Korea regained the lead through six and did not look back, increasing it to six strokes through the opening nine and eventually making it 10 as the third round came to a close.

Behind the leaders is a crowded leaderboard with France currently sitting second at 11-under, Team Canada 1 jumped into a tie for third with Spain at 10-under after firing a team combined 6-under on moving day. Team Canada 1 was led by Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. who shot a 4-under 68 and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont.’s 2-under 70. Team Canada 1 is also represented by Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont.

England was also hot on Friday, firing a combined 7-under to move to 10-under overall and into a tie with Canada 1 and Spain. Team Canada 2 currently sits in sixth at 7-under and was led by Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., who recorded seven birdies on her way to a 6-under 66. Team Canada 2 is also represented by Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. and Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C.

Ding is enjoying the experience of her first World Junior Girls Championship, after a busy summer having played in the CPKC Women’s Open last month in Mississauga, Ont.

“Playing a lot of different of events has given me a lot more experience and confidence which hopefully I can use to go forward,” said Ding. “It’s been a lot of fun, it’s really nice to have teammates and also Jenn being out here with us.”

Korea will play with France and England in the final three groups on Saturday, click here for the final round groups and tee times.

One day after tying the women’s competitive course record at St. Catharines, England’s Charlotte Naughton carded a 4-under 68 on Friday to move to 12-under for the championship and takes a two-shot lead over Kim into Saturday’s final round.

Naughton shook off an early bogey on No. 3 with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 and went on to add three more on the back nine. The bogey on three was the only blemish on her scorecard over the past two days.

The flat stick was working again for Naughton on Friday, holing two very large birdie putts as she continued to have good control over her pace.

“It was a bit of a different round today I think…didn’t hit as many greens so short game was very good today, so I saved myself a lot,” added Naughton as early morning winds made for some tougher conditions for the field.

Heading into the final round, Naughton will focus on “sticking to her game plan and trying her best.”

In hot pursuit of the leader is Kim, who’s record-setting round was highlighted by seven birdies including five straight from Nos. 5 through 9. The round of 65 was also a personal best for Kim who is representing Korea for the first time in her young career.

“She is really proud of herself and to represent Korea,” said Kim through coach Min Naon.

Naon added that Kim “felt good about her putting” and that coupled with hitting a lot of greens through solid iron play and her focus contributed to her low round.

While chasing Naughton and the individual lead, nothing will change for Kim heading into Saturday, “she will not think about the result and just do her best until the end,” added Naon.

The duo will be playing together in the final group off the first tee at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday.

Ding and Park are tied for third at 8-under, with Nagore Martinez of Spain in fifth at 6-under.

In total, a field of 23 teams, 69 players in total are competing for the team and individual championships. The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026. The top three players and ties will also earn exemptions into the 112th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont., July 20-24, 2026.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

For the both the team and individual leaderboard, following the third round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, please click here.

England’s Charlotte Naughton fires low round of 66 to take individual lead

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The Republic of Korea soared up the leaderboard to take the team lead following the second round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

All three members of the defending champions fired under par rounds to shoot a collective score of -9 under to put the Republic of Korea (Korea) into the lead at 12-under, four shots ahead of opening round leaders, France and two-time champions, Spain.

“All three girls played really good today, and it seems like they’re getting used to the course,” said Republic of Korea Coach Min Naon. “The grass is different, compared to Korea. I thought the wind was going to pick up in the afternoon but it was a nice day so they could play their own golf, so it’s good.”

Yeonseo Kim is not only making her debut at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, but also the first time she’s representing her country.

Kim recorded a bogey-free 5-under 67 on Thursday to help lead Korea, while playing with an injured finger, that occurred earlier in the week. “Her round was incredible…she has very good concentration and focus,” added Naon.

Seojin Park, who is making her third appearance at the world championship, moved into second in the individual standings following a 4-under 68 to improve to 7-under for the tournament. Yun Seo Yang also shot an under-par round with a 3-under 69. The two lowest scores count towards the team’s collective score each day.

Both the team and individual leaderboards changed throughout the day, and Spain found themselves on top for much of the morning. At days end, Spain shot a combined score of 6-under led by a pair of 3-under 69’s from Adriana Garcia Terol and Nagore Martinez.

“I am very proud of them. They played very good today and also yesterday, they are a great team and get along very well,” said Spain’s Coach Adriana Zwanck.

“We also need to be calm and patient because this is golf, I don’t like to cheer too soon. I am going to try to make them feel relaxed and keep practicing because the other teams are really good and anything can happen at the end of the tournament,” added Zwanck.

Opening round leaders, France shot a team total of 1-under, led by Louise Landgraf’s 2-under 70 and Giselle Zhao’s 1-over 73. Italy jumped into fourth at 6-under following a pair of 2-under 70’s from Gemma Simeoni and Natalia Aparicio on Thursday. Team Canada 1 and Colombia are tied for fifth at 4-under while Team Canada 2 and England are tied for seventh at 3-under.

“I think we’ve come a long way in our junior girls’ program in terms of depth. I definitely feel that we have more depth and more talent coming up in our pipeline and just really looking forward to seeing what they can do for the rest of the week,” said Team Canada 2 Coach, Jennifer Ha following her team’s combined score of 5-under for the second round.

Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. led the way with a 3-under 69 and Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. added a 2-under 70 to count for the team. Team Canada 2 is also represented by three-time tournament participant Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta.

Ha added that the team will try to keep momentum going while working on a couple things.

“One of their big goals was to be able to play with each other, the Canada 1 and Canada 2 teams on the last couple days so hopefully that feeds as motivation and gets them to be in the final few groups the rest of the week,” she added.

Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (Team Canada 1) tied Wang for the Canadian low round on Thursday. Xing closed her day with back-to-back birdies, carding five in total on her final nine holes of the day. Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. shot a 2-under 70 and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. recorded an even par 72.

England’s Charlotte Naughton carded the low round of the day with a bogey-free 6-under 66 to take the individual lead in St. Catharines.

Naughton opened with two birdies on the front nine before another on No. 12 and then added three straight from 15 through 17 and closed with par to move to 8-under for the tournament and now holds a one-shot lead over Park.

“I played really steady, and I am really happy to finish with three birdies in a row then a par. I played well, I just held all my birdie putts and had very good lag putts as well. Yesterday, I struggled a bit with the pace but today I definitely got it,” said Naughton following her round.

Naughton has enjoyed a successful season thus far. In May, she became the first ever English champion of the German Girls’ International Amateur Championship and was runner-up at The R&A Girls Amateur Championship in Wales last month. The 17-year-old will be representing England and Europe next week at the 2025 Junior Ryder Cup at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York and added that the opportunity means a lot to her.

“I think a lot of my tournaments this season went towards qualifying and I think this is a great challenge out here which is going to be similar to the Ryder Cup with the rough and the fast greens which we’re not to use to back at home in England.”

Garcia Terol is 5-under and is in third alone. Simeoni, Aparicio, Yang, Kim and Martinez are all tied for fourth at 3-under. Ding, June Weckman (Finland), Maria Errichetto (Colombia) and first round leader, Alice Kong (France) are tied for ninth at 2-under.

In total, a field of 23 teams, 69 players in total are competing for the team and individual championships. The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026. The top three players and ties will also earn exemptions into the 112th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont., July 20-24, 2026.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

For the both the team and individual leaderboard, following the second round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, please click here.

Alice Kong leads individual standings by two after opening round 67

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – France sits atop the team leaderboard after shooting a collective 7-under to lead Colombia by three following the opening round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

Alice Kong fired an opening round 5-under 67 to not only help put France ahead but also take the lead in the individual competition as well. Teammate Giselle Zhao’s 2-under 70 also counted towards the team score on Wednesday. Louise Landgraf closed her day with a 2-over 74 for France. The two lowest scores count towards the team’s combined total for the day.

France’s Coach Marine Monnet-Melocco praised her team’s spirit as an important factor for a strong opening day but cautioned there is a long way to go.

“We appreciate the day. They respect the plan, they respect the process, they respect everything. They fight on every shot, and I am very happy, but it’s not finished, it’s only one round.”

Monnet-Melocco added that while the course is not easy, both Kong and Zhao knew when and when not to be aggressive. Monet-Melocco followed Landgraf on Wednesday and while her score did not contribute on the day, her coach was pleased with the finish, “she fought on every shot and finished minus one on the last four holes and that was really good because we are three on the team and it’s very important,” said Monnet-Melocco.

Last year, France finished in a tie for fourth, matching their best finish in championship history which was previously reached in 2015 and 2017.

Right behind the leaders is Colombia, who held the lead throughout the opening round before finishing three back at 4-under. All three members of Colombia were under par, led by Valeria Rubio who held the clubhouse lead briefly following a 3-under 69. Both Luciana Medina Ramos and Maria Errichetto shot rounds of 1-under 71.

Colombia Coach Paola Moreno said her team is very happy to be competing in St. Catharines, “it’s a high-class event so for us to have under par rounds it’s fantastic and we’re truly truly happy.

“There’s a lot of golf left, to be honest. It was a great start, we can be happy for today but be ready for tomorrow. It’s three more days and so many amazing teams here, super talented, we just have to keep our heads in the game and play well,” she added.

The Republic of Korea currently sits in third at 3-under. Seojin Park, the lone returning player from last year’s championship winning team led the way with a 3-under 69, while Yun Seon Yang’s even par 72 also counted toward the team total. The defending champions are also represented by Yeonseo Kim (2-over 74).

Past champions, Italy and Spain are tied for fourth at 2-under to round out the top five. Team Canada 1 currently sits in eighth at 1-over while Team Canada 2 is tied for ninth with Austria at 2-over.

Team Canada 1 is represented by Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. (1-under 71), Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. (2-over 74) and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (3-over 75).

Team Canada 2 is comprised of Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. (even par 72), Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. (2-over 74) and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (3-over 75).

In the individual competition, Kong set the tone early in the day, opening with an eagle on the par 4 first hole and followed it up with back-to-back birdies to sit 4-under through three. While Kong cited being “stressed at the driving range” all was quickly forgotten with her eagle.

“I played so good on the first hole, my drive was great and hit my wedge, it was a good shot, and my coach was watching it, and she was like yes, it’s so good and I watched the ball rolling slowly…I was so happy, it was a good start,” said Kong.

Kong closed her front nine at 3-under as the individual leaderboard constantly changed throughout the morning and early afternoon. She recorded eight consecutive pars from Nos. 9 through 16 before two close approach shots allowed her to close with back-to-back birdies and put both herself and her team into the lead. Kong echoed her coach’s comments on the spirit of the team.

“They are the best teammates, we are such a great team, our coach is super good also and the goal is to win,” added Kong.

Kong is playing in her second consecutive World Junior Girls Golf Championship, and while she had fun with her team last year, she was dealing with jet lag and went on to finish in 20th individually.

“I love this tournament, so I am very happy to be here one more time,” she said.

Rubio and Park are trailing Kong by two-shots heading into Thursday. Rubio shook off what she described as a “difficult” start with the driver to finish strong, highlighted with an eagle on the par 4 11th.

“I had great putts, my eagle at 11 was a great drive into the green and then a great putt. I just kept going and I had a lot of fun on the course today and I think it was an amazing round.”

Rubio competed in last year’s event, finishing T57 and helped Colombia finish 15th, she was complimentary of her team’s opening round.

“Very good performance, we are a very good team and help each other and that is key about being a team is that you can support each other,” she added.

Charlotte Naughton (England), Adriana Garcia Terol (Spain) and Zhao are tied for fourth at 2-under. Liu and five others are tied for seventh at 1-under.

In total, a field of 23 teams, 69 players in total are competing for the team and individual championships. The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026. The top three players and ties will also earn exemptions into the 112th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont., July 20-24, 2026.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

For the both the team and individual leaderboard, following the opening round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, please click here.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship gets underway on Wednesday from St. Catharines Golf and Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

Following the tournament’s media day, Golf Canada sat down with members of the media who played the course to get their thoughts on what is in store for the field as well as who they’re picking for the week.

Golf Canada (GC) – Thanks for sitting down with us. First question is about the golf course. Taking your past experiences into account and playing on media day, what was your impression of the course? How does it shape up for the tournament?

Garry McKay, Hamilton Spectator – Designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame architect Stanley Thompson just a year or so before he died the St. Catharines Golf & Country Club is a wonderful example of his work. While the course, generally, is pretty flat there is a broad valley that runs through the property and Thompson, as he wanted to do, has highlighted the valley with holes that run over, around, into and through the valley. These holes, and the changes in elevation, will provide a challenge for all the players especially if it is windy.

Kristen Murphy, TSN – My first impression of the course it that it will be a fair test for the junior girls. No blind shots or tricked up holes means everything is in front of them. The course isn’t overly tight off the tee so players can elect to play aggressive in spots or adapt a more conservative style play. With some reachable par 5s for the longer hitters, those holes will provide the ultimate risk / reward scenario.

Jason Logan, SCOREGolf – I’d played St. Catharines once before, around 2010, and remember that I’d enjoyed the day and the par 3s had stood out. Playing it again 15 years later confirmed that impression. It’s a very good golf course with a great set of par 3s and some phenomenal holes that make good use of the dales through the property. It’ll be a good test for the girls and Niagara will be a great location for the tournament with all its amenities and attractions.

GC – What is one club in the bag, or one element of the game that you think will be important for players this week and why?

McKay – The simple answer is the driver especially this week at St. Catharines with five par 5s. Ask any player at a high level what is the key to winning a tournament and they will tell you that it is taking advantage of the par 5s, and at St. Catharines, players who can hit it long off the tee on the par fives and be in the correct area of the fairway will have distinctly better chance of making birdies.

Murphy – Although it might sound cliché, players will need to arrive at St. Catherines with all aspects of their games on point. There are five par 3s and five par 5s that will both demand and test every shot in the bag. For that reason, golfers with the most well-rounded games will be identified. Lastly, taking advantage of the par 5s will be essential to success come week’s end.

Logan – You could say this about any golf course, but I think driver will be important. For the most part, St. Catharines greens are not severe enough to cause players too much trouble. With several holes containing multiple tee boxes offering different angles to fairways, the girls will need a strong tee game to score well.

GC – Aside from Team Canada, what country/team are you keeping an eye on this week?

McKay – The Republic of Korea has produced female golf stars like Se Ri Pak, Jiyai Shin, Inbee Park, So Yeon Rui and Jin Young Ko among others that have gone on to have successful careers on the LPGA Tour. The Republic of Korea has also won this tournament three times, including last year at Credit Valley G&CC and finished runner-up on three other occasions so it will be important to watch them to see who their future stars are.

Murphy – It is impossible to ignore the history of the Korean team at this tournament. The defending champions have won the event on three occasions with three additional second place finishes to boot. Looking a little bit further down the leaderboard so to speak, I will be tracking team Sweden who boast four top three finishes at this tournament.

Logan – The Republic of Korea is an obvious one, based on the country’s ability to develop golfers and history at this tournament. The United States will be strong too.

GC – Again, aside from players on Team Canada, is there one player in the field that you’re watching this week?

McKay – It’s hard not to pick Seojin Park of the Republic of Korea who is 39th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and that’s the best in the field.

Murphy – One player who I will be watching outside of the Canadian crew is Argentina’s Clementina Castaño. Castaño is one of the three Argentinian girls who will be representing her country in this event for the first time. I’m looking forward to seeing how the debut goes for her and her teammates.  

Logan – England’s Lauren Crump has a strong resumé, winning her second straight English Girls’ Championship earlier this summer.

GC – Finally, who are your picks to win the team championship and individual title?

McKay – Republic of Korea with Canada 1 as runner-up. Individual, Seojin Park of Korea with Michelle Xing of Canada in second place.

Murphy – Republic of Korea. Track record, experience and pedigree make this team the one to beat, but I do expect a strong challenge from the Canadians and Americans.

Individual, Canada’s Shauna Liu. The 16-year-old has already wracked up multiple wins this season, including a second Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month. It feels like Shauna is peaking at the right time to compete for the win and punch a ticket to the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open.

Logan – Canada, of course! With Shauna Liu capturing the overall title.

GC – Thank you for your insights ahead of the tournament. Friendly reminder, the tournament will kick off on Wednesday, September 17 and admission to 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here. To follow the leaderboard during the tournament, please click here.

St. Catharines Golf & Country Club set to host the tenth playing of the
world championship, featuring 23 teams and 69 competitors

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The final field is now set ahead of the tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, featuring 22 countries and 69 players competing at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

In total, 23 teams will battle for the team championship while also competing for individual honours, with the individual champion earning an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026. The field features four players in the top 100, nine players in the top 200 and 21 in the top 500 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Golf Canada previously announced the six competitors that will represent Team Canada at the tournament and now have set the team rosters for the championship. Team Canada 1 will be represented by Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. (no. 113 WAGR), Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (no. 142 WAGR), and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. (no. 174 WAGR). Both Liu and Lin were part of Team Canada 1 last year that finished as runners-up to the Republic of Korea. Last year, Liu finished T7, and Lin was T16 in the individual standings. Xing will be making her second appearance in the world championship, having previously represented Canada in 2022. Team Canada 1 will be led by Team Canada – NextGen Girls Head Coach, Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S.

Team Canada 2 will be represented by Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. (no. 177 WAGR), Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (no. 469 WAGR) and Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. (no. 528 WAGR). Park will be competing in her third straight championship, having represented Canada the past two tournaments. Last year, Park finished T34 in the individual standings and helped Team Canada 2 finish T12. Ding and Wang will both be making their first appearances at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship. Team Canada 2 will be led by Team Canada – NextGen Girls Assistant Coach, Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta.

The Republic of Korea enter as defending champions, edging out Team Canada 1 last year in Mississauga, Ont. through a tiebreaker to win their third championship. The Republic of Korea are the most successful team in tournament history. In addition to three championships, the team has also finished as runner-up three times (2016, 2017, 2023).

Along with the Republic of Korea and Canada, three past champions are also in the field including, Italy (2018), Spain (2017, 2022) and the United States (2014). In the nine-year history of the tournament, aside from the host nation, five other countries have participated in every tournament including: England, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.

This year’s tournament will mark the debut of Argentina, who will be competing for the first time. Last year, Morocco made its debut while Iceland and Poland will be making their third consecutive appearances after debuting in 2023. India was set to make their tournament debut in St. Catharines but have withdrawn from the competition.

This year’s field is highlighted by Seojin Park from the Republic of Korea (Korea) who is the lowest ranked player in the field at no. 39 on WAGR. Park will be making her third straight appearance at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, having been apart of Korea’s championship team last year and runner-up finish in 2023. Park has had two top 10 finishes individually, finishing T4 in 2024 and T8 in 2023. Joining Park are teammates, Yunseo Yang (no. 62 on WAGR) and Yeon Seo Kim (no. 128 WAGR). France will also field a strong team with Louise Landgraf (no. 75 WAGR), Alice Kong (no. 83 WAGR) and Giselle Zhao (no. 423 WAGR). Kong is the lone returnee for France and helped her team finish T4 with Denmark last year and finished 20th in the individual standings. Mia Hammond returns for the United States (no. 320 WAGR) after competing in 2023. Hammond helped the Americans to a sixth-place finish, and T17 finish individually. For the full player roster, please click here.

“We are excited to announce the full field ahead of the tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship this week in St. Catharines. Many players compete in prestigious amateur events around the world and strong finishes can change rankings quite significantly. The difference in ability is marginal at this level, which sets up this tournament to be a competitive one,” said Adam Cinel, Tournament Director, Golf Canada. “We want to thank St. Catharines for their exceptional assistance in the lead up to tournament week. In addition, the tournament organizing committee who have gone to great lengths to ensure this is a memorable week for everyone participating in this prestigious world championship.”

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

St. Catharines Golf & Country Club (STGCC) was founded in 1899 and redesigned by legendary architect Stanley Thompson. STGCC offers a par-72 championship layout featuring mature trees, strategic elevation changes, and scenic views along Dick’s Creek. As a proven venue for major amateur and professional events, including the Ontario Men’s Amateur (2024), USGA Junior Qualifiers (2023), and the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship, STGCC promises a world-class stage for the world’s next generation of golf stars.

“On behalf of the members at the St. Catharines Golf & Country Club we are proud to bring the world to our doorstep. It will be wonderful to see how the best junior-aged women in the world play the golf course we know and love,” said Cameron Thin, Head Professional, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club. “With the depth of talent in the field, our members will also look forward to following their careers moving forward as many will likely become the future stars of the game. Given the proven history of this event, we are likely going to watch future major champions compete here at the Club.”

Practice rounds for the 72-hole competition will take place September 15-16 with the first round of play set for Wednesday, September 17. The tournament’s closing ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Saturday, September 20.

Admission to 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here. To follow the leaderboard during the tournament, please click here.

Jack Hall retains Super Senior title and Team Ontario wins Inter-Provincial Team Championship in New Minas

NEW MINAS, N.S. – Don Martone ended his week just as he started, shooting a 1-over 71 to win the 2025 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO on Friday at KenWo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S.

Martone of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. was the lone player in the field under par during the week. He finished with rounds of 71-63-68-71-273 to close out the national championship at 7-under, eight shots ahead of Dwight Reinhart of Ottawa, Ont.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s pretty special and you think back to all the past champions that have won this thing and it’s pretty surreal right now, really happy,” said a relieved Martone.

Martone was unsure he’d be able to play the final round after throwing out his back on the 12th hole during Thursday’s third round.

“Today was probably the toughest round of golf I’ve played in a really long time,” he said. “When I got up this morning I was in a lot of pain and wasn’t sure I could go today. I got up at five and was working on my back, trying to loosen it up and then you get to the course it’s a little different pressure.”

Martone, normally an aggressive player focused on keeping the ball in front of him and avoiding big numbers. While some hills were a bit of a challenge, he persevered on his way to the national title.

“It was a good mental grind today to fight through that so I’m pretty happy about that.”

Not only did Martone add his name to an impressive list of past champions at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, he also helped lead Team Ontario to the Inter-Provincial Team title, while setting a new tournament course record at KenWo, describing the week as one of his top weeks in golf.

“I put this up there with making the Canadian Tour and going through qualifying school and making that. This week has been incredible. The membership at KenWo welcomed us with open arms, everybody had a smiling face, couldn’t thank the volunteers enough. Anything you needed they were there for you, it was awesome.”

Martone will head home to the Soo where family and friends are eagerly awaiting his return to celebrate at both the Up & Down Lounge, a golf simulator lounge that he is a co-partner of, and his home course, Crimson Ridge Golf Club.

Bryan Hoops of Tempe, Ariz. Finished third at 3-over, while 2024 runner-up Jack Hall of Savannah, Ga. and two-time winner, Gene Elliott of Norwalk, Iowa finished tied for fourth at 4-over.

Along with another top five finish at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, Hall claimed the Super Senior Championship for a second consecutive year.

Hall finished the tournament at 4-over following rounds of 73-70-68-73-284 to win by five shots over 2023 Canadian Men’s Senior champion, Doug Hanzel of Savannah, Ga. Hall defeated Hanzel in a playoff last year at Saugeen Golf Club in Saugeen Shores, Ont. to claim the Super Senior title after Hanzel won both titles a year prior.

On Wednesday, Team Ontario claimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship, ending Team Alberta’s impressive run at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. Ontario finished the tournament with a combined score of 1-under, to win by 11 shots. Along with Martone, Ontario was represented by Mike Kray of Oakville, Ont. and Ashley Chinner of Brooklin, Ont.

With Ontario’s win, Alberta’s run of four consecutive inter-provincial team titles at the Men’s Senior Championship came to an end. The defending champs finished tied for second with Team New Brunswick at 10-over. Team Quebec (15-over) and Team Manitoba (16-over) rounded out the top five.

In addition to winning the national championship, Martone will receive exemptions into the 2026 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, 2026 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship (plus a 10-year exemption, if eligible) and the 2026 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

The national championship was established in 1962 for golfers aged 55-and-over and includes a Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over that was introduced in 1995. The national championship consists of 72 holes of stroke-play with a cut to the low 70 plus ties and at least five Super Seniors after 36 holes. The Super Senior Championship is contested concurrently over the four rounds of the championship.

For the final leaderboard following the 2025 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

27 boys and 20 girls invited to selection camps running concurrently with Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournaments 

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada has announced today that it has invited 47 players (27 boys and 20 girls) to attend its Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camps that will run concurrently with the Men’s and Women’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournaments later this month. 

“We are excited to announce the 47 players that will be participating in our Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camps running concurrently with our Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournaments, said Emily Phoenix, Director, High Performance, Golf Canada. “These camps are an incredible developmental opportunity for players to compete and showcase their talents in front of Golf Canada high performance staff as well as NCAA coaches.” 

Players participating in the Selection Camps will also be competing for one secured spot each (boys and girls) on the 2026 Team Canada – NextGen roster. The Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational (CCI) runs September 14-16 at Öviinbyrd in MacTier, Ont. and the Women’s CCI runs September 22-23 at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont. 

On the boy’s side current NextGen team members, Austin Krahn of Christina Lake, B.C. and Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. are among those that will at the camp. Krahn has enjoyed a successful 2025, having won individual and team gold medals at the Canada Summer Games last month in St. John’s, Nfld. Krahn also won the British Columbia Amateur and Junior Championship this summer. Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. has also received an invitation. Last month, Lew won the 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship and became the 12th player in tournament history to capture both the Junior and Juvenile division titles. 

On the girl’s side, six current NextGen team members will be participating in the camp including Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C., Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont., and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. Five of the six will be wrapping up play at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship in St. Catharines, Ont. prior to joining the camp. Liu recently won her second consecutive Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month, coming from behind to win the Brokenshire Trophy. Liu has four additional wins this season, including The Peloton Glencoe Invitational as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series, the Junior Orange Bowl International, the NXXT Epson Tour Qualifier at LPGA INTL and The Nelly Invitational on the AJGA.  

Lin has one win this season, at the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic along with a pair of runner-up finishes and a third-place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month. The 14-year-old Ding has two wins this season including the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series and the Women’s Orlando International Amateur Championship. Wang recently finished as runner-up at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and won three times last season. Park (Nobelle) has earned four titles on the AJGA and one provincial title this season after winning ten times in 2024. 

Also joining the current NextGen Boys team members are a number of in-season winners including: 2025 Canadian Junior Boys champion, Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. and NextGen Championship winners, Cole Stewart of Enfield, N.S. (Atlantic), Henry Dao of La Prairie, Que. (Quebec), Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta. (Prairie and Western) and Maxim McKenzie of Chilliwack, B.C. (Pacific). 

Joining the current NextGen Girls team members are U15 Championship winner Maggie Zhang of Richmond, B.C., Zhang also won the NextGen Prairie Championship in June. Alexis Card of Cambridge, Ont. who won the NextGen Quebec Championship and 2025 Canada Summer Games individual gold medal winner, Leonie Tavares of Saint-Jerome, Que. will also be at the camp. 

The full selection camp roster can be found here: