Yujie Liu of Beijing, China, and Tyler Long of Evergreen, Colorado, win the 47th RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic at Bethpage Black. The pair add their names to a legendary list of past champions including Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman, Brian Harman, Morgan Hoffman, Matthew NeSmith, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Ariya Jutanugarn and Sierra Brooks. In addition, Ralph Lauren has graciously gifted two tickets to the 2025 Ryder Cup to each champion. The event is set to be played at Bethpage Black this upcoming September, with Polo Ralph Lauren as the official Outfitter of the U.S. Ryder Cup Team.
The field of 64 juniors, 32 boys and 32 girls, was comprised of 29 college commits, 55 past AJGA champions and 24 Rolex Junior All-Americans. The Invitational featured 10 boys and seven girls ranked within the top-25 of the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Anna Fang of San Diego, California, who is currently ranked at No. 10 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, entered as the No. 1 seed in the Girls Division. Ronin Banerjee of Irvine, California, who is currently ranked at No. 8 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, claimed the No. 1 seed spot in the Boys Division.
The RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic returned to historic Bethpage State Park - Black Course for the events 47th year. The Invitational has occurred annually since 1978 and is the second-longest standing AJGA event. Over the years, it has been held at prominent golf courses including Liberty National golf Club, PGA National Resort and Spa - Champion & Fazio Courses, Sea Island Golf Club, Innisbrook Resort and Echo Lake Country Club. The event remains the only true individual match play format on the AJGA schedule. All but two years of the event have been competed as match play.
Liu competed against Lily Peng of San Ramon, California, in the championship match in the Girls Division, winning 4&3. After a tie on the par-4 No. 1, Liu quickly took a lead over Peng, winning Nos. 2, 3 and 4 to put her at 2 up. She never backed down, maintaining her advantage over Peng throughout the match, leading her to close out with a win on the par-4 No. 15.
"I kept my patience because I know where my strengths and advantages are on the course. I just did everything I could to go for the win and had faith in myself."
Liu entered the event as the No. 5 seed, going on to win Pool E in the Girls Division after three rounds of group play. In the Quarterfinals, she had a strong finish at 4&3 to advance. Her Semifinal match went on to 20 holes, where she won with a clutch birdie on the par-4 No. 15. This marks her second AJGA victory and first AJGA Invitational win.
Long played in the championship match against Giuseppe Puebla of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, winning at 4&2. With an early birdie on the par-4 No. 1, Long was able to go 1 up to start the match. He never lost this momentum, staying ahead of Puebla for the remainder of the match until it closed out on the par-4 No. 16.
"These victories are highly sought after. Every kid in junior golf thinks about winning an AJGA Invitational event, so it feels great to see my name at the top."
Long entered the event as the No. 32 seed in the Boys Division and leaves as a champion. He advanced to bracket play after claiming 2.0 points in Pool A in the Boys Division. In the Quarterfinals, Long kept his momentum going with a 4&3 finish to move on. The Semifinals were a back-and-forth battle, but Long came out on top at 1 up to advance to the championship. This marks his first Invitational win and his final AJGA event.
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About Bethpage State Park Golf Courses - Black Course
The move of the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic to Bethpage Black four years ago marked the first time the event was played on a public course. The Black Course is rich in tradition having hosted three major championships, two FedEx Cup playoff events and the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup.
The course which opened in 1936 as part of the Depression Era public-works project that build Bethpage State Park burst onto the scene in 2002 with its first hosting of the U.S. Open. It was this year that a young Tiger Woods, who won the Polo Golf Junior Classic in 1991, captured his second U.S. Open title. The Black Course again hosted the U.S. Open in 2009 where AJGA alumnus Lucas Glover took home the title. The ‘extremely difficult course’ recommended ‘only for highly skilled golfers’ also hosted the 2012 and 2016 FedEx Cup playoff event, The Barclays. AJGA alumnus Brooks Koepka won the 2019 PGA Championship when the course hosted its first major in ten years.
About Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren, a premium lifestyle brand, has been a partner for more than three decades. Since 1995, Polo Ralph Lauren has supported junior golfers who become the next generation of college graduates and business leaders. Every week through AJGA social and digital content, Polo Ralph Lauren celebrates the top performances of AJGA members worldwide, through Polo Ralph Lauren #InspiredPerformances . Polo Ralph Lauren has hosted the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic, an Invitational dating back to 1978 and one of the longest-running events in AJGA history.