BRADENTON, Fla. – Grace Carter of Jupiter, Florida, jumped to the top of the leaderboard after carding a 4-under-par 68 in the second round of The Nelly Invitational presented by Chevron. The leaderboard remains closely packed at the top heading into the final round.
Carter climbed eight spots after opening with an even-par round on day one. She carded five birdies during the second round and capped off her day with an eagle on the par-5 17th. Currently No. 17 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, Carter heads into the final round with a one-shot lead.
The Class of 2029 graduate, Carter captured four AJGA victories in 2025, including the 1st Clubs For Kids Foundation Junior All-Star Invitational. The Rolex Junior All-American is now looking to earn her second AJGA Invitational title.
“I put myself in good positions all day. With some tough pin locations out there, I was able to avoid the difficult areas and take advantage of my opportunities when they came.”
Closely behind Carter is Amelie Zalsman, who posted an even-par round in the second round. After holding the lead following the opening round, Zalsman now sits at 69–72 (141) and stands one shot back heading into the final round. She recorded three birdies on the day to offset three bogeys, with none of her birdies coming on the same holes as in round one. Currently No. 3 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, Zalsman is seeking her fourth AJGA Invitational victory.
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 final round will continue on Tuesday, May 26, with tee times from 8:00 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. off of No. 1 and No. 10.