JP Lynch of Austin, Texas, claimed the title at The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex, earning his first AJGA Invitational victory. The 2028 graduate steadily improved throughout the tournament, opening with consecutive 1-under-par 71s before breaking through in the final round. Lynch fired a 6-under-par 66 to finish the week at 8-under-par and secure the championship.
The Texas native got off to a fast start, opening his final round with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 1 and 2. He made the turn at 2-under-par 34 after a bogey on No. 4 and another birdie on No. 7. At the turn, Lynch sat just two shots off the lead, trailing second-round leader Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who was 6-under-par through nine holes.
As Lynch made the turn, he began to catch fire. The University of Oklahoma commit carded three consecutive birdies to open his back nine on Nos. 10, 11 and 12. He added another birdie on No. 14 to take a two-shot lead over Brady Barnum of Dublin, Ohio.
On No. 16, Barnum got one back with a birdie, cutting Lynch’s lead to one as the two headed toward the famous 17th hole. Both players found the green and faced lengthy birdie putts. Barnum’s putt rolled close, but both competitors ultimately walked off with pars.
Heading to the final hole, Lynch was in prime position to attack the flag, while Barnum found the right rough off the tee. Barnum played first but missed the green to the left, giving Lynch an opportunity to put the pressure on. Lynch hit his approach to 10 feet, while the Ohio native got up-and-down for par. Lynch then two-putted for par, which was enough to secure the victory.
“I can’t even put it into words. I can’t believe it, and it hasn’t really sunk in yet. I had to wait three hours to basically hit one putt, which is kind of funny to me, but it feels great. I was really nervous and couldn’t get myself to eat lunch, but I went into the player locker room, hung out with friends and watched football, and eventually those nerves died down. I’ve really been in a flow state the whole week, and today wasn’t any different. I started finding my gear on No. 7 and carried it through the finish. Overall, I don’t feel like it was anything crazy special, it was just me playing the game I know I can play, but haven’t been recently. I think tonight I’m going to have a nice steak dinner, then go home and do some homework and study because I have school on Tuesday. This win is going to be especially huge for me in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, and hopefully it helps me get into more Invitationals and bigger tournaments.”
Barnum capped off a fantastic week with a 4-under-par 68 in the final round. The University of Georgia commit posted three consecutive under-par rounds throughout the tournament, finishing with 16 total birdies. The performance marked Barnum’s best finish in an AJGA Invitational.
Ronin Banerjee of Irvine, California, and Alexis Rouleau of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, finished in a tie for third at 4-under-par. Banerjee, who is committed to the University of Tennessee, posted 3-under-par 69s in the first and final rounds. Rouleau’s back-to-back 2-under-par 70s helped him climb the leaderboard and finish in a tie for third.
Chase Bauer of Gotha, Florida, and Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, finished in a tie for sixth at 2-under-par. Bauer opened the tournament with a 5-under-par 67 to claim the first-round lead. Lew’s highlight of the week came in the second round, when he carded a 3-under-par 69.
Charlie Woods of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, David Kim of Marriottsville, Maryland, and William Lisle of Bradenton, Florida, rounded out the top 10 at 1-under-par. Woods, who is committed to Florida State University, posted the lowest final round of the trio, carding his second 1-under-par 71 of the week. The finish marks Woods’ first AJGA top-10 of the season.
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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.