Inaugural Mizuho Americas Open to showcase top ranked AJGA girls alongside LPGA professionals

By Amanda Cantor

JERSEY CITY, NJ – The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) is set to concurrently host the inaugural Mizuho Americas Open alongside the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The event will provide the opportunity for 24 of the top junior golfers to compete alongside the 120-player LPGA field for their own individual title. The 72-hole Stableford event will be hosted at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, on June 1-4.

This unique format marks the first time the AJGA and the LPGA have partnered to showcase the stars of today competing inside-the-ropes with the future of the game, creating an unprecedented week of education and access to inspire the next generation of LPGA Tour players.

About the Field
Invited through the Rolex AJGA Rankings, the players represent nine states and two international countries (Canada and the Philippines). The field includes 20 Rolex Junior All-Americans and 24 former AJGA champions. There are seven players who are verbally committed to play college golf and seven players who have signed their Letter of Intent.

AJGA Alumni and 2021 Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Megha Ganne of Holmdel, New Jersey, will be playing in the event as a sponsor exemption.

Rose Zhang, the most decorated player in amateur women’s golf history, will be making her professional debut at the Mizuho Americas Open. During her AJGA days, Zhang was a five-time Rolex Junior All-American (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and was a two-time Rolex Junior Player of the Year (2019, 2020).

Including Rose, of the 120 players competing on the LPGA side of the event, 74 are AJGA Alumni.

Players to watch:

• Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida- A three-time Rolex Junior All-American (2020, 2021, 2022), Clemente is ranked at No. 1 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. She is a four-time AJGA champion, with back to back wins at The PING Invitational (2021, 2022).
• Rianne Malixi of Quezon City, Philippines – A two-time AJGA champion, Malixi is ranked at No. 2 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Malixi is a First Team Rolex Junior All-American (2022) and has eight top-5 AJGA finishes.
• Alice Ziyi Zhao of Irvine, California- A two-time Rolex Junior All-American (2021, 2022), Zhao is ranked at No. 3 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. She is a four-time AJGA champion, with her most recent win at the 2022 KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational.

Rolex AJGA Rankings
Of the 24 girls in the field, 20 are in the top-20 of the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Below are the top-10 girls in the field.

1. Gianna Clemente (2026)
2. Rianne Malixi (2025)
3. Alice Ziyi Zhao (2027)
4. Anna Davis (2024)
5. Vanessa Borovilos (2024)
6. Kiara Romero (2024)
7. Yana Wilson (2024)
8. Katie Li (2023)
9. Jaclyn LaHa (2023)
10. Leigh Chien (2024)

TV & Social
The event will be televised on the Golf Channel at the below times.
Round 2 (Today 6/2/23) – 11AM – 2 PM EDT
Round 3 – 5 PM – 8 PM EDT
Round 4 – 4:30 PM – 5 PM (digital) and 5 PM- 7:30 PM EDT

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