JERSEY CITY, NJ - Alice Ziyi Zhao of Irvine, California, and Aphrodite Deng of Short Hills, New Jersey, surged to the top of the leaderboard at the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open following the second round, recording a two-day Stableford score of 71 points.
Scoring for stableford is as follows:
Zhao delivered a stellar comeback in round two, improving by 11 points thanks to eight birdies on the day. Despite opening with a double bogey on the par-5 No. 10, she quickly recovered with birdies on Nos. 11, 13, 15, and 16. A lone blemish on the par-5 No. 18 was the only other setback before making the turn. Zhao then caught fire on the back nine, finishing with four birdies and five pars to earn 22 points on the round. She began the day tied for 16th and now holds a share of the lead.
"I think my round tomorrow will be good, because I know I'll be playing with the pros and they play really well, and I think that rubs off on me a little bit. They hit it pretty straight so it makes me want to hit it straight, too."
Zhao is currently No. 17 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and is seeking her second AJGA Invitational victory. She’s also aiming to improve upon her fifth-place finish at last year’s Mizuho Americas Open and her T11 showing in 2023.
Alice Ziyi Zhao takes the top spot at the #MizuhoAmericasOpen after the morning wave!
— AJGA (@AJGAGolf) May 9, 2025
The 2027 graduate tallied 41 points in the second round, carding eight birdies on the day. pic.twitter.com/OQ5CyabunC
Much like Zhao, Deng made a significant leap on the leaderboard, climbing 13 spots after a nearly flawless second round. She opened with a birdie on the par-5 No. 10, followed by a run of pars and back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. After her only bogey of the day on the par-4 No. 1, Deng bounced back with a birdie on the par-3 No. 2 and closed out the round with seven straight pars to secure her share of the lead.
"I’m feeling good going into the round tomorrow. It’s exciting to get to play with the LPGA players and after playing in this event last year, I feel like I know how to play the course."
Deng, ranked No. 7 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, is coming off a major victory at the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. The two-time Rolex Junior All-American is looking to better her T13 finish from last year’s event.
Lily Peng of San Ramon, California, and Kinsley Ni of Los Angeles, California, both started the day tied for fourth and now share third place with 70 points apiece. Peng carded six birdies, while Ni recorded four to remain firmly in contention.
Overnight leader Avery McCrery sits two points back in a tie for fifth at 69 points after a second round highlighted by back-to-back birdies on the par-4 No. 1 and par-3 No. 2. She shares the position with Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
For the third round, AJGA juniors will be paired alongside LPGA professionals. Tee times for AJGA juniors will be off No. 1 starting at 9:45 a.m. EST.
The tournament will also be aired on Golf Channel from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST.
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