Springtime in Florida means the sun is shining bright and the smell of sunscreen fills the air at Innisbrook Resort, where the AJGA will host the Sung Hyun Park Junior Championship on the Copperhead Course. Among the 132-player field are the top finishers from last year’s (2021) Girls Division. Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Florida, Katie Li of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Ava Merrill of Johns Creek, Georgia, and Elizabeth Beek of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, have all returned to compete for the title this Easter weekend.
Defending champion, Bailey Shoemaker says she loves playing the event for many reasons.
"I keep coming back because it’s close to home and I love it. I have grown up loving this place and have been playing Innisbrook since I was 7 or 8 years old.”
Similarly, Katie Li and Ava Merrill have returned to the Sung Hyun Park Junior Championship because the field is strong, and the courses at Innisbrook are always in great condition.
Last year in 2021, Elizabeth Beek earned a last minute spot into the field and then continued to finish tied for third over the weekend.
“It means a lot to be here, and I’m really excited to be back," Beek said. "Last year I was just trying to make the cut, and I did. This year I’m going to try to do the same thing.”
The Copperhead course is well-known for hosting the PGA TOUR’s annual Valspar Championship. It’s narrow fairways, rolling terrain, difficult greens, and the infamous Snake Pit make up many of the challenges of the golf course.
“I did a lot of putting and short game practice," said Merrill. "I know this course can be tough around the greens.”
Merrill also feels confident in her ability to hit fairways heading into this weekend. Additionally, Bailey Shoemaker changed her driver shaft and has worked hard on her short game as well, focusing mainly on flagging pins with her wedges.
Furthermore, Elizabeth Beek dedicated a large portion of her practice to putting in preparation as well as hitting shots out of the rough.
“I focused a lot on hitting out of the rough because I know there’s a lot of deep rough here," said Beek. "I’m also trying to practice putting a lot.”
This weekend will certainly be a great test of golf and the girls are approaching this weekend with a similar mentality. Katie Li is especially focused on keeping the past in the past and looking at what’s in front of her.
“I want to go into this tournament and any tournament with no expectations of myself. It feels no different [this year]. I’m still going to play my best at this tournament regardless of what happened last year.”
Check out what they’ve have been up to since the 2021 Sung Hyun Park Championship:
Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Florida (2023)
- No. 4 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings
- 4th place, 2021 The PING Invitational
- Top 20, 2021 Rolex Tournament of Champions
- Two Time Rolex Junior All-American
- 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup team member
- Verbal Commitment: University of Southern California
Katie Li of Basking Ridge, New Jersey (2023)
- No 10 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings
- Champion, 2021 K.J. Choi Foundation Junior Championship by SK Telecom
- 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup team member
- Runner-up, 2021 Polo Golf Junior Classic at Liberty National
- Two Time Rolex Junior All-American
- Verbal Commitment: Duke University
Ava Merrill of Johns Creek, Georgia (2023)
- No. 26 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings
- Champion, 2021 Rome Junior Classic presented by Piedmont Bank
- Runner-up, 2021 AJGA Carolina Trace Junior
- 4th place, 2021 Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational
- 2021 Rolex Junior All-American
- Verbal Commitment: Stanford University
Elizabeth Beek of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (2023)
- Three top 10 finishes in 2021
- T8, 2021 AJGA Championship presented by Stuart Francis, Princeton Varsity Golf ‘74
- 8th place, 2021 Billy Horschel Junior Championship presented by Zurich
- Verbal Commitment: University of Illinois