Fayetteville, AR – Gloria Nip of (Hong Kong) Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Kip Price of Greenville, South Carolina, won the 2021 KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational.
The KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational is one of the most unique events on the AJGA schedule. Past tournament champions have gone on to be very successful in the AJGA and beyond. Some notable past champions include Cindy Kou, Karl Villips, Noah Goodwin, and Leigh Chien. In addition to its noteworthy winners, the Invitational is known for its host venue, The Blessings Golf Club, which is home to the University of Arkansas Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams.
In the Girls Division, Nip opened the tournament with consecutive rounds of 3-over-par 75 placing her T4 heading into the final round. The champion started the final round off strong with two birdies on the front nine. After making the turn at even-par 36, she fired three consecutive birdies on Nos. 10, 11, and 12 to climb the leaderboard. Nip would add a birdie on No. 15 before bogeying No. 16 and 17. At the time she finished, the 2024 graduate entered the clubhouse in second at 4-over-par 220.
Once movement on the leaderboard settled, Nip found herself tied for the lead with Olivia Duan of Cupertino, California. Nip and Duan went head-to-head for four playoff holes before Nip captured her first AJGA Invitational win, as well as her first AJGA victory, with a par on the fourth hole.
"The course had really narrow fairways and the greens were crazy but I just told myself to lag putt it and don't blast everything so hard."
With this victory, Nip has earned an exemption into the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in El Dorado, Arkansas. The event will take place from September 24-26.
Duan finished in second at 4-over-par 220. Gianna Clemente of Warren, Ohio, finished in third at 6-over-par 222.
Lily Zhang of Buffalo, New York, finished in fourth at 8-over-par 224. Rounding out the top-5 was Alexandra Gazzoli of Palm Coast, Florida, and Lucy Yuan of (Canada) San Diego, at 9-over-par 225.
In the Boys Division, Tip Price of Greenville, South Carolina, began the week in good position with a 1-under-par 71. Price bested that score in the second round with a 4-under-par 68 to take the lead. The 2025 graduate was the low round of the second round with a clean front nine featuring three birdies.
Price entered the final round with a commanding four stroke lead. In his first AJGA event of the year he emerged from the final round at even-par 216 to earn the win by three shots.
"This is easily the best event I've played in and my favorite by far. The way it was run was perfect and the course was in unbelievable shape."
Sihao Cong of Irvine, California, and Curtis Da Silva of Monterey, California finished T2 at 3-over-par-219. Cong's best round came on the second day at 2-under-par 70. Da Silva's came on the final day going 3-under-par 69.
Logan Kim of La Canada Flintridge, California, finished in fourth at 4-over-par 220. Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, rounded out the top-5 at 6-over-par 222.