Jasmine Koo of Cerritos, California, and Wheaton Ennis of Litchfield Park, Arizona, lead after the first round of the AJGA Invitational presented by PING.
Koo fired a first-round score of 6-under-par 65 to hold a six-shot lead in the Girls Division. She had the only eagle out of the 72-player field on No. 9, a par 5. The University of Southern California commit was 3-under-par through her first five holes and finished the front nine bogey-free.
Everything went well for me today. It wasn't a lucky 65. I hit fairways, greens and made six putts. I am really happy with how I played.
Koo is a two-time Rolex Junior All American and No. 14 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. She was a member of the United States PING Junior Solheim Cup team and has had two top-10 finishes in Invitationals this season.
Behind Koo, UNC verbal commit Helen Yeung of Clarksville, Maryland, is in second place at even-par 71. In a tie for third, University of Virginia commit Kennedy Swedick of Albany, New York, and Stanford commit Anna Song of Los Angeles, California, finished at 1-over-par 72.
In the Boys Division, Ennis finished with a 4-under-par 67. A verbal commit to Texas A&M, he was even par when he made the turn. Ennis went bogey-free on the back nine and had four birdies. He holds a three-shot lead over Matt Moloney of Daniel Island, South Carolina, who finished the first round at 1-under-par 70.
The course is phenomenal and it's fun to be out here. The job is definitely not finished and I will try to keep stacking good shots and make good decisions.
Ennis has two AJGA victories already this year, winning the PING Heather Farr Classic and PGA WEST Junior Championship. He is making his debut at the AJGA Invitational presented by PING.
Behind Ennis and Moloney, defending champion Jay Leng Jr of San Diego, California, is in third place at even-par 71.
The 17th AJGA Invitational presented by PING showcases the best of the next generation of future college and professional stars. The tournament is hosted at The Pfau Course at Indiana University. The venue change takes place after Karsten Creek undergoes renovations.
There are 25 Rolex Junior All-Americans and 57 AJGA champions in the field. In addition, there are 33 college commits and eight countries represented.
Tournament History
The inaugural PING Invitational took place in 2006 and in the tournament’s 17-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 third year this October. Notable Girls Division champions also include: Nelly Korda, Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit.
Past champions are listed below:
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.
About The Pfau Course
The Pfau Course at Indiana University is the home course of the flagship university in the state of Indiana.
Opened in 2020, the course was designed by highly-acclaimed architect Steve Smyers and two-time major winner and Hoosier native Fuzzy Zoeller, The Pfau Course at Indiana University offers a unique, world-class layout that is set in the natural beauty of southern Indiana. It’s drawn rave reviews since opening, highlighted by its No. 76 ranking in Golf Digest’s 2023 Top 100 Public Golf Courses in the United States list.
Among the course’s many take away features is 147 bunkers spread out amongst the 18 championship holes. The bunkers come in a wide variety of sizes and depths, offering players with creative ways to navigate them. Like the bunkers, The Pfau Course at Indiana University’s greens come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. The average green size is 6,680 square feet, and they range in size from 4,145 square feet on No. 10 to 10,014 square feet on No. 7.
In addition to offering a supreme test for championship-caliber players, the Par-71 design is also accessible to players of all skill levels. It features six tee options, offering an 18-hole experience that ranges from 4,586 to 7,908 yards.
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