Pool play at the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic has concluded at Bethpage State Park Golf Courses - Black Course, completing three rounds of competitive match play across a deep and talented field. With the opening stage complete, the top 16 players, eight boys and eight girls, advance to tomorrow’s bracket play, where the championship shifts to a head-to-head knockout format.
Sam Carraher
No. 1 seed Sam Carraher of Crown Point, Indiana, opened Tuesday defeating No. 32 seed Andrew Sciortino of Brentwood, Tennessee, 5&4. In the afternoon wave of Pool Play, Carraher topped No. 17 Leo McDonough of Lafayette, California, 4&3. Today, he beat No. 16 Matthew Hull of Corona del Mar, California, 5&4, leading to a perfect 3–0 record securing the No. 1 spot in Thursday's bracket play.
“I played pretty well yesterday and had everything firing today. I hit a great shot on the par-3 No. 3, and then I got my game rolling. This is exciting. It almost felt like Pool Play was single elimination because of how good everyone is. I just need to keep hitting good shots and stay in it.”
Grant DeLorenzo
No. 15 seed Grant DeLorenzo of Houston, Texas, bested No. 18 Ainslie Stanford of Edmond, Oklahoma, 4&3 early Tuesday morning. In the second round of Pool Play, DeLorenzo overcame No. 31 Charlie Woods of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 1UP. DeLorenzo tied No. 2 Grayson Baucom of Hickory, North Carolina, during Wednesday morning’s Pool Play. The tie combined with his previous win earned him a spot in tomorrow’s bracket play.
Jaden Soong
No. 3 seed Jaden Soong of Los Angeles, California, tied No. 30 David Kim of Marriottsville, Maryland, in the opening round of Pool Play. Soong then prevailed over No. 19 Mason An of Houston, Texas, 1UP in the afternoon session. Today, he secured a win against No. 14 Cody Guetzke of Hartland, Wisconsin, 6&4. With that result, Soong advances to bracket play.
Drake Harvey
No. 4 seed Drake Harvey of Las Vegas, Nevada, defeated No. 29 Warren Stiglitz of Denver, North Carolina, 4&3 in the morning round of Tuesday's Pool Play. In the afternoon he outlasted No. 20 Brady Barnum of Dublin, Ohio 1UP. Despite losing his match against No. 13 Macaulay (Mac) Myers of Whitestown, Indiana 1UP, Harvey advances on to tomorrow's bracket play.
“My past experience has helped me a lot. My first year I had no idea what I was getting into. My brackets have been super tough. I have had to play Mason Howell and Tyler Mawhinney and a couple other really good players. Having the tough matches early has got me ready to play better against tough opponents. I know I am one of the better players in the field, if not the best player in the field, so I know I can make a run.”
Rory Asselta
No. 12 seed Rory Asselta of Ramsey, New Jersey, bested No. 21 Clark Mason of St. Petersburg, Florida, 4&3 during the initial round of Pool Play matches. During the afternoon session, he overcame No. 28 Manav Bharani of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, 2UP. During today’s final round of Pool Play, he defeated No. 5 Andy Dai of Bradenton, Florida, 1UP. This solidified his perfect 3‑0 record, locking in his position in tomorrow’s bracket play.
Keane Taino
No. 22 seed Keane Taino prevailed past No. 11 Nicholas Logis of Austin, Texas, 1UP during the morning session of Tuesday's Pool Play. He then lost to No. 6 Chase Hughes of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 5&4 in the afternoon. During the third round of Pool Play, he defeated No. 27 SJ Thomas of Birmingham, Alabama, 2UP. The match went to a five‑hole playoff, where Taino emerged victorious, securing a spot in bracket play.
Joseph Corcell
No. 26 seed Joseph Corcell of Tampa, Florida, tied No. 7 Ryan Nana Tanke of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, early Tuesday morning in the opening round. During the afternoon matches, he earned a win over No. 10 Connor Wolfe of Blythewood, South Carolina, 1UP. In the final round of Pool Play, Corcell prevailed over No. 23 Graham Christopher of Westlake Village, California, 2&1. He moves on to Thursday’s bracket play.
Noah Maclauchlan
No. 9 seed Noah Maclauchlan of Moseley, Virginia, defeated No. 24 Brayden Jones of Seal Beach, California, 2&1 during Tuesday’s early morning Pool Play. In the afternoon session, he secured a win against No. 25 Shayaan Kim of Rockledge, Florida, 2&1. This morning he lost to No. 8 Richard Ding of Pleasanton, California, 4&3. Despite the loss, he moves into the bracket.
Asterisk Talley
No. 1 seed Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, moved past No. 16 Amy Weng of Palo Alto, California, 6&4 Tuesday morning during the first wave of Pool Play. In the afternoon session, she bested No. 17 Mingyang (Sabrina) Sun of Carlsbad, California, 3&2. In the final round of pool play, she secured the comeback, beating No. 16 Emma Wang of Palo Alto, California, 1UP. With a perfect record she moves into bracket play.
“I knew I had to win my match today to get out of Pool Play and to have a chance to make it to the Quarterfinals. Being four down was not what I wanted today, but I was able to turn it around and play some good golf. Playing in the Curtis Cup this year shows you that anything is possible. You know how to play the match play game. That is what I did today, and that was how I was able to bring it back.”
Mia Clausen
No. 18 seed Mia Clausen of Carlsbad, California, topped No. 15 Niuniu Zhao of Woodsville, Washington, 3&2 during the morning round of Pool Play. Later that day, she defeated No. 2 Lily Peng of San Ramon, California, 7&5. During the final round of Pool Play, she notched a win against No. 31 Hazel Hooper of Pacifica, California, 1UP to move into tomorrow's bracket play.
Elizabeth Guthrie
No. 14 seed Elizabeth Guthrie of Charlotte, North Carolina, tied No. 19 Alli Wiertel of Oswego, Illinois in Tuesday's morning session. In the afternoon, she bested No. 30 Marley Pedrique of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 3&2. Guthrie defeated No. 3 Anna Fang of San Diego, California, 1UP, to advance to tomorrow’s bracket play.
Inseoul Jiamanukoonkit
No. 20 seed Inseoul Jiamanukoonkit of San Diego, California (Thailand), moved past No. 13 Ysabel Liu of Short Hills, New Jersey, 3&2 Tuesday morning. During the second round of Pool Play she defeated No. 4 Honorine Nobuta Ferry of Flower Mound, Texas, 3&2. Finishing 3-0, she defeated No. 29 Gabriella Gu of Irvine, California, 5&4 to move into Thursday.
Clairey Lin
No. 5 seed Clairey Lin of (Canada) Palos Verdes Estates, California notched a win against No. 28 Evyn Cannon 5&4 during the opening wave of pool play on Tuesday. Later that afternoon, she bested No. 21 Angela Liang of Bridgewater, New Jersey, 5&4. In the final round of Pool Play, she rolled past No. 12 Victoria Cui of Atherton, California 5&4. She makes her way into bracket play tomorrow with a perfect record.
Ein Kim
No. 22 seed Ein Kim of Irvine, California, overcame No. 11 Kylie Chung of Cumming, Georgia, 2&1 during Tuesday’s morning session of Pool Play. In the afternoon, Kim defeated No. 6 Elin Wang of Beijing, China (Hong Kong), 2UP. During Wednesday's Pool Play, she topped No. 27 Zoey Kim of Los Angeles, California, 2&1. The 3‑0 finish lands her a spot in tomorrow’s bracket play.
Eliana Saga
No. 7 seed Eliana Saga of Stevenson Ranch, California, defeated No. 26 Hana McGarry of San Diego, California, 2UP Tuesday morning. Later that afternoon, Saga won the match against No. 23 Samantha Chiou of Orinda, California, 1UP. Today, she advanced past No. 10 Alexandra Snyder of Orlando, Florida, 4&3. With her flawless record, she secures her position in tomorrow’s bracket play.
Emily Song
No. 25 seed Emily Song of Irvine, California, earned a win over No. 8 Ava Zhang of Lake Mary, Florida, 5&4 in the first round of Pool Play. During the afternoon session, she fell to No. 9 Alexandra Phung of Forest Hills, New York, 5&4. She then bounced back with a win over No. 24 Alisa Davidova of Roanoke, Virginia, 2&1. With that result, she advances to tomorrow’s bracket play.
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 is one of the longest-running events in AJGA history.
About Bethpage State Park Golf Courses - Black Course
In 2022, the move of the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic to Bethpage Black marked the first time the event has been played on a public course. The Black Course is steeped in tradition, having hosted three major championships, two FedEx Cup Playoff events, and the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Bethpage Black made its major championship debut in 2002 with the U.S. Open, where a young Tiger Woods, a former RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic champion, captured his second U.S. Open title. The course returned to the national stage in 2009 when AJGA alumnus Lucas Glover won the U.S. Open, followed by The Barclays FedEx Cup Playoff events in 2012 and 2016.
In 2019, AJGA alumnus Brooks Koepka claimed victory at the PGA Championship, as Bethpage Black once again cemented its place among golf’s most demanding championship venues. Most recently, the course hosted the 2025 Ryder Cup, further adding to its legacy on the global stage.
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