CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Rose Zhang of Irvine, California, leads with a 10-under-par 206 heading into the final round of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship.
Zhang had a double bogey early in the round but went bogey free the rest of her day. Birdies on Nos. 8 and 14 would help her get back to even-par 72 for the third round.
Heading into the final round, I’m going to try and play to the best of my ability. Tomorrow I’m going to try my best to give myself opportunities where I can drain more putts and make a few more birdies.
As the No. 1 player in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and reigning Rolex Junior Player of the Year, Zhang is looking for her second AJGA win of the season. She won the 2019 Rolex Tournament of Champions in November and placed T3 at the 2020 ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex in January.
Zhang's national junior golf resume also includes a win at the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur at Woodmont Country Club.
Bohyun Park of (South Korea) Farmers Branch, Texas, moved into second after a third-round score of 3-under-par 69 to get to 7-under-par for the tournament. Park carded four birdies with a bogey-free back-nine.
Catherine Rao of Camarillo, California, sits in third with a score of 6-under-par 210. Rao carded four birdies during the first five holes of the tournament round and had no bogeys on the back nine.
Sophie Zhang-Murphy of Saratoga, California, Kyung Eun Lee of Honolulu, Hawaii, Leila Raines of Galena, Ohio, and Paula Miranda of Puebla, Mexico, are tied for fourth with a score of 4-under-par 212.
Katie Li of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, is in eighth place with a third round score of 3-under-par 213. Rounding out the top-10 with a score of 2-under-par 214 are Bailey Shoemaker of West Edmeston, New York, and Vania Simont of CDMX, Mexico.
About the Rolex Girls Junior Championship
The 29th Rolex Girls Junior Championship takes place August 17-21 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The all-girls invitational brings the top-ranked junior golfers in the world to compete at Dalhousie Golf Club for a 72-hole, stroke-play tournament.
Since 1992, the competition brings together one of the strongest fields in junior golf. The 2020 event includes 11 of the top 20 girls in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Representatives from seven foreign countries and 22 U.S. states are set to compete in one of the AJGA’s most iconic all-girls events.
The 2020 Rolex Girls Junior Championship field is highlighted by 13 Rolex Junior All-Americans and 41 AJGA champions, including 15 players with wins this year. Of the total girls competing, 21 players have committed verbally or with a National Letter of Intent to play college golf.
Rolex Girls Junior Championship History
The Rolex Girls Junior Championship has occurred annually since 1992, changing host venues each year. Noteworthy courses include: LPGA International – Champions and Legends Course (2002-2005), Long Cove Club (2010), The Country Club of North Carolina – Dogwood Course (2015), and Promontory Club – Dye Canyon Course (2018).
Dalhousie Golf Club also hosted the 2013 Rolex Girls Junior Championship, crowning current LPGA Tour player Alison Lee as the champion with a score of 7-under-par 281. Lee went on to win the 2013 Rolex Tournament of Champions and was also named the 2013 Rolex Junior Player of the Year in her last year of junior golf before starting her stand-out college career at UCLA.
Past champions of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship include an AJGA all-star cast: Rachel Heck (2017), Alison Lee (2013), Ariya Jutanugarn (2012, 2011), Morgan Pressel (2005), Paula Creamer (2003), and Inbee Park (2002).
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About Rolex
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 500 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, Rolex is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.