Braselton, GA – The American Junior Golf Association named 10 top junior girls to the 2023 PING Junior Solheim Cup United States team on Thursday.
The first ten players were selected based on a combination of the Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Rankings and the Rolex AJGA Rankings as of Tuesday, July 25th. The final two spots on the U.S. Team are reserved for Amy Alcott's captain’s picks on Tuesday, August 8.
The following players earned entry through the Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Rankings:
- Anna Davis of Spring Valley, California
- Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida
- Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California
- Yana Wilson of Henderson, Nevada
- Leigh Chien of Irvine, California
Earning entry through the Rolex AJGA Rankings were:
- Gracie McGovern of Scottsdale, Arizona
- Elizabeth Rudisill of Charlotte, North Carolina
- Irene Kim of Woodstock, Maryland
- Ryleigh Knaub of Debary, Florida
- Kathryn Ha of Roanoke, Virginia
Of the 12 girls selected only Wilson and Davis have experience from the 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup, won by the European team in Ohio. Wilson went 2-1 in her three 2021 matches, while Davis lead the team winning all three of her matches. The 2021 US Team fell 13-11 against the Europeans.
Modeled after the Solheim Cup, the PING Junior Solheim Cup biennially features the 12 best female junior golfers (ages 12-18) from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. The team match play event includes foursomes, four-ball and singles matches played over two days and rotates between U.S. and European host sites coinciding with the Solheim Cup. This years event includes both teams watching the final days of the Solheim Cup matches at Finca Cortesin, September 18 - 24, 2023.
LPGA legend Amy Alcott will serve as the junior United States team captain. Alcott is a highly celebrated icon of women's golf. Before her illustrious professional career which earned her a place in the LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999, Alcott won the 1973 U.S. Girls Junior. Alcott won the event in commanding fashion at Somerset Hills Country Club in New Jersey. It was that same year that she set the course record for women at Pebble Beach at the time.
Alcott turned professional in 1975 at the age of 18 and earned LPGA Rookie of the Year honors that year. Over the course of her 27-year professional career, Alcott won 32 individual titles that included 29 LPGA victories and five major championships. She was a three-time champion of the now Chevron Championship and made tradition the now famous jump into Poppies Pond at Mission Hills Country Club with her win in 1988.
"I am excited to announce these talented young ladies, as part of our 2023 PING Junior Solheim Cup team in Malaga, Spain. I am honored to be their captain. I know everyone will have an amazing time and experience. Go USA!"
The United States Team will be co-captained by the AJGA's West Regional Manager, Libby Burroughs. This will be Burroughs first time serving in this position; however, Burroughs is no stranger to the team golf format. She has served as the East assistant Captain in 2022 and 2023 at the AJGA's annual Wyndham Cup.
"I'm honored to serve as Vice Captain for this United States Team. I've gotten the opportunity to get to know many of these girls over the past couple of years and am really excited about the team we've assembled. I look forward to working alongside Amy to lead this team and represent our country in Spain."
Gwladys Nocera will serve as the European Team Captain. She competed in four Solheim Cups for Team Europe and will bring plenty of experience to the team of 12 junior Europeans.
The United States leads the all-time PING Junior Solheim Cup series 7-3-1. The United States has won the last two times the event has been contested in Europe. The 2015 United States Team was the first team to win on foreign soil, 13-11, at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot in St. Leon-Rot, Germany, setting the stage for the 2019 United States’ team’s 13-11 win at Gleneagles.
AJGA alumnae who have graduated from the PING Junior Solheim Cup to the Solheim Cup on Team USA include Paula Creamer, Brittany Lang, Alison Lee, Angel Yin, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel, Yealimi Noh, and Lexi Thompson.
Meet the 2023 United States Team
Anna Davis | Spring Valley, California
Class of 2024
Verbal Commitment: Auburn University
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 3
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 1
Davis is one of two returning players from the 2021 Junior Solheim Cup USA team. In her debut she went 3-0 against a strong European team. Since then Davis collected the top women's amateur golf title, winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2022. Davis and her twin brother Billy are both commits to Auburn University. The rising senior is a two-time Rolex Junior All-American and has one AJGA win to her name. Davis is coming off the US Girls Junior where she advanced to the Round of 16 and fell to teammate, Gianna Clemente.
Gianna Clemente | Estero, Florida
Class of 2026
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 2
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 2
Clemente took the women’s golf world by storm in 2022 when she Monday qualified into three straight LPGA Tour events. Clemente made history in 2021 by becoming the youngest champion in PING Invitational history. She came back in 2022 to defend her title and joined Rose Zhang and Jordan Spieth as the only players to win the PING Invitational twice. Clemente is a three-time Rolex Junior All-American and has made two appearances on the Wyndham Cup East Team. Most recently she advanced to the semifinals of the 74th US Girls Junior where she fell to eventual champion, Kiara Romero.
Asterisk Talley | Chowchilla, California
Class of 2027
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 6
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 8
Talley is the youngest member of the 2023 Junior Solheim Cup team. The California native went on a tear to kick off her summer season. She won three consecutive AJGA events including the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, which is one of the top ranked fields in female junior golf. She went 2-1 this year in her first Wyndham Cup appearance for the West team. Talley also advanced to the round of 32 in her first appearance at the US Girls Junior.
Yana Wilson | Henderson, Nevada
Class of 2024
Verbal Commitment: University of Oregon
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 4
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 11
Wilson is one of two returning team members to Team USA. Wilson went 2-1 in her Junior Solheim Cup debut in 2021. She will look to help lead the team alongside fellow 2024 graduate, Anna Davis. Wilson has three AJGA wins under her belt including most recent at the Mizuho Americas Open where AJGA juniors played alongside LPGA professionals. In 2022, she won the 73rd US Girls Junior title and advanced to the round of 32 in 2023. She is a two-time Wyndham Cup champion for the West Team. In her three Wyndham Cup appearances she has gone 5-3-4.
Leigh Chien | Irvine, California
Class of 2024
Verbal Commitment: Stanford University
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 10
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 12
Chien is one of four girls on the US Team representing the state of California. The Stanford commit already has a long AJGA resume including three AJGA invitational titles. She has been named a Rolex Junior All-American three times and has played for the victorious Wyndham Cup West Team twice. She advanced to the semifinals of the 74th US Girls Junior most recently.
Gracie McGovern | Scottsdale, Arizona
Class of 2024
Verbal Commitment: Texas Christian University (TCU)
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 9
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 15
McGovern broke onto the AJGA scene with her win at the 2023 PING Heather Farr Classic over the Easter holiday. The rising senior is committed to Texas Christian University and made her Wyndham Cup debut this year for the West Team.
Elizabeth Rudisill | Charlotte, North Carolina
Class of 2025
Verbal Commitment: Vanderbilt University
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 12
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 23
Rudisill is the reigning AJGA Girls Invitational champion. She won the 2022 event at Streamsong Resort on the Black Course. The win earned Rudisill her first Rolex Junior All-American honors.
Irene Kim | Woodstock, Maryland
Class of 2026
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 13
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 27
Kim is the second youngest member of the 2023 US Team. In 2022, she earned Junior All-Star team honors after a season that included one win and three top-5 finishes. Her 2023 already has one win at the Lanto Junior Championship and a top-3 finish at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship. She competed in Wyndham Cup for the first time this year playing for the East Team.
Ryleigh Knaub | Debary, Florida
Class of 2025
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 15
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 39
Knaub is the second Floridian on the 2023 team. She won the Dustin Johnson World Junior in March to open her 2023 golf season. Knaub is on a match play run this summer. The 2025 graduate made it to the semifinals of the Polo Golf Junior Classic at Bethpage Black - going 4-1 in five matches. Knaub also competed in her first Wyndham Cup this summer for the East Team. She was named to the Junior All-Star team in 2021.
Kathryn Ha | Roanoke, Virginia
Class of 2025
Rolex AJGA Ranking: 21
Golfweek / Sagarin Junior Girls Ranking: 60
Ha won the 2023 Justin Thomas Junior Championship to open her 2023 golf season. The 2025 graduate then made it to the quarterfinals of the Polo Golf Junior Classic at Bethpage Black and went 3-1 in four matches at her first Wyndham Cup this summer for the East Team.
Social
Follow along on social with #JrSolheimCup
or check us out on Twitter
, Instagram
and Facebook
.
About the PING Junior Solheim Cup
The PING Junior Solheim Cup is owned and hosted by PING and will be operated by the American Junior Golf Association with assistance from the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour.
Founded by Karsten and Louise Solheim, the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation is a long-time sponsor of the LPGA and AJGA. As the makers of PING golf equipment, the Solheim family continues to ensure the same superior workmanship today that they built into their original clubs more than 46 years ago. Now under the direction of John Solheim, Karsten and Louise’s youngest son, the company continues in its efforts to manufacture the highest quality golf equipment. The PING name is known world over. Besides its presence in the United States, PING markets custom-fit and custom-built equipment to more than 70 countries.
About PING
The tournament owner and title partner, PING, designs, manufactures, and markets a complete line of golf equipment including metal woods, irons, putters, and golf bags. The family-owned company was founded in 1959 by the late Karsten Solheim. Solheim is the only person to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as a golf club manufacturer. Today, the Phoenix-based company is under the direction of Solheim's youngest son, John A. Solheim. PING game-improvement products can be found in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit ping.com
.