BRADENTON, Fla. - Vidhi Lakhawala of Kendall Park, New Jersey, and Florida native Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, both committed to Wake Forest University, share the lead after the first round of The Nelly Invitational presented by Chevron, each carding a 3-under-par 69. The pair holds a one-shot lead over the field heading into the second round.
Lakhawala, who sits No. 9 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, stayed steady throughout the day, recording six birdies in her round. The 2025 Rolex Junior All-American has already built an impressive resume, with victories at the 2025 Will Lowery Junior Championship and the 98th Women’s Western Junior Championship. She also represented the East Team at the 2025 Wyndham Cup last July, helping lead the team to victory.
“My round was steady all day. I made a 7-footer for par that gave me some momentum and confidence for the rest of the round.”
Zalsman currently sits No. 3 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. She opened with a bogey-free front nine and found her momentum on the back, carding two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 17th to cap off the day. The three-time Rolex Junior All-American finished runner-up at the Mizuho Americas Open earlier this month and captured the 2025 Rolex Girls Junior Championship last June.
“I was pretty consistent all around. I focused on hitting greens because this course can get tough if you find yourself out of position.”
The following two players are tied for second at 2-under-par 70:
- Victoria Cui of Aterton, California
- Jude Lee of Walnut, California
The Nelly Invitational presented by Chevron brings the top-ranked junior golfers in the world to compete at The Concession Golf Club for a 54-hole, stroke-play tournament. The 2026 event includes 12 of the top 25 girls of the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
Representatives from 10 foreign countries and 13 U.S. states are set to compete in the all-girls event. There are also 25 players who have committed verbally or with a National Letter of Intent to play college golf. The field consists of 45 past AJGA champions and 28 Rolex Junior All-Americans.
Nelly Korda, a standout LPGA player Tour player, AJGA alumna and Team TaylorMade athlete, will serve the tournament host for the second time. Korda joined the LPGA Tour in 2017 and has had 13 career victories, with five so far in 2024, including two majors at the 2021 KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the 2024 Chevron Championship.
The second round continues on Monday with tee times from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. off of No. 1.