Broussard, LA - After the opening round of competition, Keira Shavitranuruk of Orlando, Florida, leads the Girls Division by four strokes after shooting an impressive 7-under-par 65 at the AJGA Junior All-Star Invitational. She is currently ranked No. 81 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and has two AJGA wins this season. Shavitranuruk is seeking her first invitational victory after competing in the event last year.
Shavitranuruk had a stellar round, opening with consecutive birdies on Nos. 10 and 11. She then carded four more birdies over her next six holes on the back nine. Her momentum continued after the turn, as she birdied Nos. 1 and 2 before adding two more birdies on the front nine to finish with 10 birdies on the day.
“A few weeks ago, my coach taught me how to hit lower shots, and that’s made it much easier to get the ball close to the pin. Right now, I’m just focused on my own game and not paying attention to the leaderboard yet.”
Lillian Phee of San Diego, California, and Erin Le Nguyen of San Jose, California, are tied for second in the Girls Division after each shooting a 3-under-par 69.
Phee is making her first invitational appearance and is seeking her first AJGA victory this weekend. Starting on No. 10, Phee recorded a bogey-free back nine with three birdies before making the turn. She added a birdie on the par-4 second hole to maintain her solid play and put herself in good position heading into the second round.
Le Nguyen is currently ranked No. 127 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and won the Bay View Academy Junior All-Star earlier this year. She carded four birdies during her round, including a bogey-free back nine, to put herself in contention for her first invitational victory.
In the Boys Division, Hudson Justus of Gainesville, Georgia, and Benjamin Vento of Rochester Hills, Michigan, are tied for the lead after each firing a 6-under-par 66 in the opening round.
Justus, who returns to the event after finishing tied for 12th last year, had a strong opening round. He carded nine birdies to put himself in a strong position to contend for his first invitational victory. Justus is currently ranked No. 67 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and was recently named to the 2026 Junior All-Star Team.
“I struck my irons really well today, and that definitely helped. The wind picked up throughout the round, and I think managing those conditions helped me separate myself from the field.”
Vento took a steady approach to his round, carding two eagles on the par-5 Nos. 5 and No.14. He maintained his momentum with a bogey-free round to finish the day tied for the lead. He also added birdies on Nos. 1 and 14. Vento is making his first AJGA Invitational appearance and is seeking his first AJGA victory.
“It’s always good to set the bar high on the first day. It shows me what I’m capable of. I didn’t leave many shots out there today, but I can see a path to doing it again tomorrow, continuing to climb the leaderboard, and putting together a strong tournament.”
Following in third is Yilang Chen of (China) Irvine, California with a score of 5-under-par 67.
About Le Triomphe Golf & Country Club
Founded in 1986, Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club is a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. signature championship golf course. Just a year after its grand opening, Le Triomphe was named one of the best courses built in the United States since 1962 by USA Today.
Today, Le Triomphe is only one of two clubs in Louisiana to host a sanctioned PGA TOUR event, the prestigious Chitimacha Louisiana Open. For over twenty-five years, the Louisiana Open has been one of the favorite stops for players on the Korn Ferry Tour.
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Full Results - Second Round tee tines begin Saturday at 8 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10.