Chase Bauer of Gotha, Florida, leads The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex after the opening round. The Florida State University commit carded a five-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into the second round. Bauer made seven birdies and just two bogeys to finish the day atop the leaderboard.
Playing in his second The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex, Bauer is in position to capture his first AJGA Invitational title.
Bauer opened his round with a par on the first hole before making his first birdie of the day on the par-five second. He carded bogeys on Nos. 4 and 7 but responded with birdies on Nos. 5 and 8 to make the turn at one-under 35.
The Florida native continued his strong play on the back nine, making birdie on Nos. 10, 12, 14 and 16. Bauer closed with a bogey-free, four-under 32 on the back nine to finish at five-under 67 and take the outright lead.
“Ball striking was great. I hit it towards the middle of the green and rolled the putts that I needed to. It felt like a complete round of golf today. Starting with a 67 is solid and sets me up for the rest of the week. I’ll play the rest of the week like I’m at even par. There’s a lot of golf left. I just need to stay focused.”
Sitting one shot off the lead, Giuseppe Puebla carded a four-under 68 to finish the opening round tied for second. The Royal Palm Beach, Florida, native got off to a fast start with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 before adding three more birdies throughout the day. Puebla’s only blemish came on No. 5, where he made bogey. The future Florida Gator will represent the U.S. Team at the 2026 Junior Presidents Cup.
David Kim of Marriottsville, Maryland, also sits tied for second after carding a bogey-free 68. Kim will look to build on his strong start as he pursues his first AJGA Invitational victory.
Esteban Llorente of Bogota, Colombia, rounds out the group tied for second. Llorente put together a colorful scorecard that featured nine birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.
Ronin Banerjee of Irvine, California, and Rory Asselta of Ramsey, New Jersey, round out the top five with matching three-under 69s. Both players were named to the U.S. Team for the 2026 Junior Presidents Cup.
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About The Tournament
A product of the longstanding partnership between the PGA TOUR and the American Junior Golf Association, The Junior PLAYERS provides an elite field with the opportunity to compete on one of golf’s most recognizable stages. Rolex, one of the AJGA’s longest-tenured partners, has served as presenting sponsor since 2022 and continues to play an integral role in the championship.
The field features 42 past AJGA champions, highlighting the event’s field strength. A total of 16 players are ranked inside the top 25 of the Rolex AJGA Rankings, along with 19 Rolex Junior All-Americans and 40 college commitments. The depth of the field extends across the globe, with players representing 19 states and 16 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Guatemala, India, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Sweden, Taiwan and the United States.
About Rolex
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Perpetual watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word ‘Perpetual’ is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 600 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
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For more questions about The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex, please contact Justin Farrell (jfarrell@ajga.org) in the AJGA Communications Department.