Talley and Byrd win The PING Invitational by two
Jackson Byrd of Saint Simons Island, Georgia, and Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, are the champions of The 18th PING Invitational. Byrd and Talley both finished the event with a 7-under-par 209. Both champions won the event by two strokes.
Byrd started the round with an stray tee shot that ended in a bogey on the par-4 No. 1. He quickly recovered with a birdie on the par-4 No. 2. Byrd made two more birdies on the front nine to make the turn with a 2-under-par 34. On the back nine, the Clemson commit made a second bogey on the par-3 No. 13. He made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 and three pars to finish the day with a 3-under-par 69.
I expected to be a little more nervous but I was trying to not thinking about the outcome. When you’re leading, you think about how great it would be to win but you just have to stay in the present.
Jackson Byrd
At No. 13 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, Byrd won in his debut at The PING Invitational and earned his first AJGA Invitational win.
Behind Byrd, Ronin Banerjee of Irvine, California, made five birdies on his last seven holes to finish in second place at 5-under-par 211. University of Kentucky commit Cole Stockard of Dalton, Georgia, finished in solo third at 3-under-par 213. In a tie for fourth, Jackson Ormond of Webster, New York, and Miles Russell of Jacksonville, Florida, leaves the event at 1-under-par 215.
In the Girls Division, Talley entered the final round with a one-shot lead over the field. She made a birdie on the par-4 No. 2 but dropped a shot on the par-4 No. 3 after making a bogey. The two-time Rolex Junior All-American made two more birdies to make the turn with a 2-under-par 34. Talley played the back nine with one birdie and one bogey to finish the day with a 2-under-par 70 and to win The 18th PING Invitational in her tournament debut.
It was a tough day out there with everyone being so close the whole round but I pulled through on No. 18 with an easy par. I had a lot of clutch holes and kept it simple through the whole round. Fairways and greens all day.
Asterisk Talley
The Class of 2027 junior was a member of the victorious United States PING Junior Solheim Cup team this year. The four-time AJGA Champion won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, finished eighth in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and captured the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball title this year. Talley notched a huge point at the Curtis Cup this summer when she took down the No.1 female in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Lottie Woad.
Getting to play with friends all three days definitely helps you stay calm throughout the whole round.
Asterisk Talley
In solo second place, two-time The PING Invitational Champion Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida, finished at 5-under-par 211. Her round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 No. 8 and three birdies. In solo third, Stanford commit Nikki Oh of Torrance, California, had a tournament total of 4-under-par 212. Lily Peng of San Ramon, California, Clairey Lin of Palos Verdes Estates, California, and Texas A&M commit Natalie Yen of West Linn, Oregon, all tied four fourth place at 1-under-par 215.
The 18th PING Invitational showcases the best of the next generation of future college and professional stars. The tournament is hosted at The Saticoy Club. The venue change takes place after Karsten Creek undergoes renovations.
There are 26 Rolex Junior All-Americans and 64 AJGA champions in the field. In addition, there are 36 college commits and six countries represented.
Tournament History
The inaugural PING Invitational took place in 2006 and in the tournament’s 18-year history, has crowned many notable past champions. Jordan Spieth is the only two-time Boys Division champion, winning in 2008 and 2010. Other notable champions include PGA TOUR player Emiliano Grillo and college standouts – Stanford senior Michael Thorbjornsen and 2023 Walker Cup team member Ben James, a sophomore at the University of Virginia.
Rose Zhang, two-time Rolex Junior Player of the Year and LPGA Tour star, joined Spieth as the first two-time champion in the Girls Division with victories in 2018 and 2020. In 2021, Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida, became the youngest champion at 13 years, 6 months, and 18 days old. Clemente successfully defended her title in 2022, winning by seven shots to join Spieth and Zhang. The 2026 grad will return to the event for a fourth year this October. Notable Girls Division champions also include: Nelly Korda, Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit.
Past champions are listed below:
2023 – Wheaton Ennis and Jasmine Koo
2022 – Jay Leng Jr and Gianna Clemente
2021 – Benjamin James and Gianna Clemente
2020 – Kelly Chinn and Rose Zhang
2019 – Event was canceled due to weather
2018 – Michael Thorbjornsen and Rose Zhang
2017 – Canon Claycomb and Lucy Li
2016 – Noah Norton and Paphangkorn Tavatanakit
2015 – Spencer Soosman and Nelly Korda
2014 – Donnie Trosper and Kaitlyn Papp
2013 – Brad Dalke and Megan Khang
2012 – Gavin Hall and Alison Lee
2011 – A.J. McInerney and Jaye Marie Green
2010 – Jordan Spieth and Kristen Park
2009 – Emiliano Grillo and Rachel Morris
2008 – Jordan Spieth and Victoria Tanco
2007 – Gregor Main and Vicky Hurst
2006 – Andrew Yun and Esther Choe
About PING
PING, a golf club manufacturer with the goal to help golfers play their best, has been an AJGA supporter since 1990 and began supporting the PING Phoenix Junior in 1991. The PING Invitational, one of the AJGA’s top Invitationals held over Columbus Day weekend, began in 2006 at Karsten Creek. The PING Junior Solheim Cup, the all-girls match play biennial event, has received worldwide recognition and many participants are able to say they played for their country as a junior and professional.
An Official Partner since 2002, the golf club manufacturer sponsors PING College Golf Signing Day and became “The Official Bag of the AJGA” in 2009. In 2010, PING debuted golf bags for all AJGA champions. PING also became the AJGA’s first Legacy Partner in 2020.
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