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2024 Junior PGA Championship: Three Things to Know About the Final Round
By Alan Cox & Ryan Adams, PGA
Published on
Moving Day at the 48th Junior PGA Championships saw both familiar and new names atop a crowded leaderboard. Another hot day on the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club proved challenging for the girls early before the boys fired 25 rounds under par in the afternoon.
With the final round getting underway, Kinsley Ni and Alice Zhao are tied atop the Girls Division at 7-under 208, while four players lead the Boys at 6-under 209: Adam Villanueva, Jake Birdwell, Giovanni Binaghi and Asher Vargas.
More on that, and other storylines, in the three things you need to know about the final chapter of the 2024 Junior PGA Championships.
Ni continues solid play, Zhao pushes into tie for first
The sole girls leader coming into the day, Ni shot a steady even-par 72 on Thursday to remain at 7-under for the championship. The No. 13-ranked junior on the Rolex AJGA Rankings is in prime position with one round left to play.
“I had three birdies and three bogeys,” said Ni, who tied for second at the 2023 Girls Junior PGA Championship. “The pins were harder I think. So, my irons were a little off today . . . Just looking forward to the last day.”
Kinsley Ni and Alice Zhao.
Ni and Zhao, both from China, battled in the final group as the girls played in the morning wave, both holding the solo lead at times during the round. Zhao finished strong on the back nine, with birdies on the par-5, 494-yard 11th and par-4, 397-yard 15th holes to finish 1-under 71.
“I feel like I was definitely putting better towards the end,” said Zhao, one of the youngest players in the field at age 15. “I was just trying to lag it up if I have a longer putt and try to capitalize on the shots. I'll just try to play my best in the final round, and not think too much.”
Low scores, leaderboard movement aplenty for Boys Division
Among the boys, Villanueva climbed 16 spots to the top of the leaderboard after recording a 6-under 66 Thursday for the low round of the day, which was matched by just one other player (Lev Grinberg from Ukraine, who is tied for 10th).
The Austin, Texas, native entered the day at even par for the championship before carding nine birdies against three bogeys, with six of the birdies coming on the back nine.
“That train just started rolling,” said the 17-year-old Villanueva, who is committed to the University of Texas. “”I feel relieved. I went into this tournament just waiting to make something happen.
Birdwell, who entered the day tied for fourth, has had a more steady rise up the leaderboard as one of just two boys under par in all three rounds. The Blaine, Minnesota, native shot 2-under 70 on Thursday, highlighted by four birdies, including back-to-back on the par-4, 388-yard 1st and par-3, 215-yard 2nd to open his round.
“Yeah, it's been pretty steady,” said the University of Illinois commit. “Starting with two birdies was good. Kind of just gets you going, gives you a little momentum. I think I played good all day.”
Binaghi joined Birdwell as the only other boy under par the first three rounds. The Italian made four birdies and briefly held the solo lead before a late bogey on the 16th hole. Vargas, meanwhile, who shared the lead coming into the day, held steady with a 1-under 71 in the final grouping of the day.
“Yeah, it's been pretty steady,” said the University of Illinois commit. “Starting with two birdies was good. Kind of just gets you going, gives you a little momentum. I think I played good all day.”
Binaghi joined Birdwell as the only other boy under par the first three rounds. The Italian made four birdies and briefly held the solo lead before a late bogey on the 16th hole. Vargas, meanwhile, who shared the lead coming into the day, held steady with a 1-under 71 in the final grouping of the day.
“I think I held it together well,” said the 16-year-old Vargas. “My goal was to follow up Round 2 with a steady, maybe 1- or 2-under par round. I knew that would keep me in it, and I did that so I have no complaints.”
Odds and ends from Moving Day
- If Ni or Zhao go on to win the Girls Division, either would become the first competitor in Championship history from China to take home the Patty Berg Trophy.
- For the Americans competing in this week's Junior PGA Championship, its the start of Junior Ryder Cup qualifying. The points race begins after the final putt at Congressional and go through next year's Junior PGA, with the final team being announced Aug. 5, 2025. It'll include six girls and six boys that'll play against Team Europe at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black, Sept. 23-25. More information here.
- The Blue Course at Congressional has shown its teeth all week. No holes have an average score under par, and there's only been 16 scores below 70. Surprisingly, the par-5 ninth has ranked as the hardest hole on the Blue all week. The total number of birdies is about half (942) of the total bogeys (1812) on the Blue, as well. It's a true test, but also provides a setting for great golf to shine, as Round 3 showed with 25 rounds under par in the Boys Division.
- If there's any doubt the Junior PGA Championships aren't some of the strongest tournaments on the junior circuit, just take a look at the past Champions. Major Champions like Lexi Thompson, Yuka Saso, Ariya Jutanugarn, Inbee Park, Trevor Immelman and David Toms. Rising stars Rose Zhang and Akshay Bhatia. Future phenoms Miles Russell and Gianna Clemente, who won in 2023. It's a proving ground for the next generation. The question is . . who's next?
