Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida, successfully defended her title, while Jay Leng Jr of San Diego, California, won his first AJGA Invitational.
The 16th PING Invitational showcased the best of the next generation of future college and professional stars. Host venue Karsten Creek is home to the Oklahoma State University Men's and Women's Golf teams. The course was ranked No. 24 in Golf Digest's list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" for 2021-22.
The tournament field was loaded with talent. Of the 72 players in the field, there were 52 AJGA champions, including four 2022 Invitational winners. Additionally, there were 39 college commits and 21 Rolex Junior All-Americans. Players hailed from 21 states and eight international countries.
Clemente made history last year by becoming the youngest champion in PING Invitational history. With this win, Clemente joined Rose Zhang and Jordan Spieth as the only players to win twice at this Invitational.
Clemente was the only player to shoot even-par or better in all three rounds. She was three-strokes back after an opening round of even-par 72. Clemente jumped to the top of the leaderboard after a 4-under-par 68 in the second round. Her 36-hole total of 4-under-par 140 was good enough for a two-shot lead heading into the final round.
The 14-year-old started with three straight bogies in her final round. She turned her luck around after a birdie on the par-4 No. 6. After a par on No. 10, Clemente made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12. She dropped another shot on No. 13. Clemente bounced back with a birdie on the par-3 No. 15 and had a picture perfect finish with a birdie on the par-5 No. 18. Her final tournament total was a 5-under-par 211, seven-shots clear of the runner-ups.
I would like to thank my parents. They are a big part of my journey, and I wouldn't be here without them. I hope to be back here in the future for a third win.
Thanana Kotchasanmanee of Rome, Georgia, birdied No. 18 to finish tied for second at 2-over-par 218. This was Kotchasanmanee's third runner-up finish the year. Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, made two birdies during her final round to also finish tied for second. Zhang is ranked No. 22 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Alice Ziyi Zhao of Irvine, California, jumped up nine leaderboard spots after a low round of 4-under-par 68. Her tournament score of 3-over-par 219 put her tied for fourth. Zhao won two AJGA tournaments this year and is ranked No. 17 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Macy Pate of Winston Salem, North Carolina, followed up her second round score of even-par 72 with another even-par 72 to also tie for fourth. Her final round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 No. 17. Pate is a Wake Forest University commit and ranked No. 14 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Megan Meng of Pennington, New Jersey, birdied No. 18 to round out the three-way tie for fourth. Meng has two AJGA wins this year and ranked No. 30 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Jay Leng Jr fought back a slow final round start to win his first AJGA Invitational. After shooting a low round of 3-under-par 69 in the first round, Leng Jr maintained his lead in the second round at 2-over-par 74. His 36-hole total of 1-under-par 143 gave him a two-shot lead heading into the final round.
Leng Jr birdied the par-3 No. 3, but found trouble when he made a triple-bogey on the par-4 No. 4. He made another birdie on No. 9 to make the turn with a 1-over-par 37. Gerardo Gomez of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, was catching up to Leng Jr, making the turn with a 2-under-par 34.
Leng Jr dropped two more shots on No. 13 after a double bogey while Gomez made a birdies on Nos. 12 and 14. Gomez had a four-shot lead heading into No. 17, but after his approach shot found the water, his lead was cut to one. Leng Jr saw an opportunity and birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to force a playoff against Gomez.
The first three holes of the sudden death playoff were played on No. 18. Both players were able to make par each time. The fourth playoff hole was moved to the par-4 No. 17 where Leng Jr escaped with a par and a win.
I'd like to thank my playing partners, especially Gerardo. It was a hard fought battle and I'm happy that I played against someone so good.
This was Leng Jr's second AJGA win. His first came earlier this year at the UHY St. Louis Junior. The Stanford commit is currently ranked No. 25 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Gomez finished in solo-second after a low final-round score of 1-under-par 71. He was the last player to get added to the field, initially scheduled to play at the Billy Horschel Junior Championship presented by Zurich. Gomez got the call he had a spot, and then traveled to Oklahoma to compete at The PING Invitational in his fifth-career AJGA tournament. Gomez is committed to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and No. 48 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Nicholas Prieto of Miami, Florida, tied for third after a three-day total of 4-over-par 220. He finished third at the 2022 Jack Burke Jr. Invitational and is committed to the University of South Florida. Ryder Cowan of Edmond, Oklahoma, jumped up five spots on the leaderboard after making a 1-under-par 71 in the final round. He is currently ranked No. 34 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and committed to the University of Oklahoma.
Carson Kim of Yorba Linda, California, finished in fifth at 5-over-par 221 alongside Ethan Gao of Alpharetta, Georgia. Kim is currently ranked No. 7 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and committed to the University of Southern California. Gao is ranked No. 5 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, a two-time Rolex Junior All-American and committed to Stanford University.
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.
About Karsten Creek Golf Club
Former Oklahoma State University head golf coach and current Athletic Director Mike Holder first envisioned Karsten Creek Golf Club in the 1970's. His goal was to create a sanctuary for college golf. With the help of renowned golf course designer Tom Fazio, that dream took shape over the next two decades.
On May 9th, 1994, Karsten Creek Golf Club officially opened, and was named "Best New Course" in the country by Golf Digest.
The course was named in honor of the late Karsten Solheim, founder of Karsten Manufacturing (PING). Lake Louise, featured on the finishing holes, was named in honor of Karsten's wife.
Karsten Creek Golf Club is home to the Oklahoma State Men's and Women's golf programs.