Established in 1898 and relocated to its current Johns Creek location in the 1960s, Atlanta Athletic Club is home to both the Highlands and Riverside courses and was the home club of legendary amateur Bob Jones. The Highlands Course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and Joe Finger, and the Riverside Course was designed entirely by Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
His son Rees Jones would spearhead the renovation efforts to both courses in 1994, 2003, 2006 and 2016. In 2022, Tripp Davis III, who also renovated the layout for 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball host Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club and 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur layout Oak Hills Country Club, led the renovation of the Riverside Course, which is where the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will be contested.
AAC boasts a storied history of championship golf, having hosted five USGA championships since its relocation to Johns Creek in addition to the 1950 U.S. Women’s Amateur, won by Beverly Hanson, hosted when the club was still located at East Lake. USGA champions such as Gunn Yang (2014 U.S. Amateur), Betsy King (1990 U.S. Women’s Open) and Jerry Pate (1976 U.S. Open) are joined by a roster of notable champions that includes Nelly Korda (2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship), Larry Nelson (1981 PGA Championship) and David Toms (2001 PGA Championship). AAC’s Johns Creek club also hosted the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup won by the USA and the 1982 Junior World Cup, won by Nacho Garvas and a young José María Olazábal. During its time at East Lake, the club also hosted the 1963 Ryder Cup Matches, won by a USA team captained by Arnold Palmer.
Admission
Admission is free. Tickets are not required for this USGA championship, and spectators are encouraged to attend.
Entries
This year’s championship accepted 1,500 applicants with entries closing on May 14. The championship is open to female amateur golfers who have not reached their 19th birthday on or before July 19, 2025, and whose Handicap Index® does not exceed 5.4.
Championship Field
A starting field of 156 players will compete in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. Following 18-hole rounds of stroke play on July 14 and 15, the field will be cut to the top 64 scorers for match play. A playoff, if necessary, will be conducted to get exactly 64 players in the draw. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the finalists who will square off in the 36-hole championship match on Saturday, July 19.
Qualifying
Qualifying, played over 18 holes, was conducted at 42 sites nationwide between May 21 and June 26, with one qualifier held at Club de Golf Mexico, in Mexico City. To view qualifying results, visit usga.org/girlsjunior.
Exempt Players
A championship-record 66 players are fully exempt into the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior:
• Cristina Alvarez (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Anna Bell (Winner of 2025 Missouri Junior Match Play)
• Arisa Bintachitt (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Ana Boone (Winner of 2025 Florida Girls' Junior Championship)
• Alejandra Botaya (Winner of 2025 VII Copa Yucatan/III Copa Sureste)
• Mia Carles (Winner of 2025 Women's South Carolina GA Junior Girls Championship)
• Alaina Carson (Winner of 2025 Pennsylvania Junior Girls' Championship)
• Cara Carter (Winner of 2024 Idaho Girls' Junior Amateur)
• Y.C. Chen (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Madeleine Conser (Winner of 2025 Oregon Junior Amateur)
• Zoe Cusack (Winner of 2025 Maryland Girls' Junior Amateur)
• Merritt Daniel (Winner of 2025 Alabama State Girls Junior)
• Aphrodite Deng (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7; Winner of 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and 2024 New Jersey Girls' Junior)
• Raegan Denton (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Clara Ding (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Anna Fang (Quarterfinalist in 2024 U.S. Girls' Junior)
• Rayee Feng (Qualified for 2025 U.S. Women's Open)
• Maya Fujisawa Keuling (Winner of 2025 Indiana Girls State Junior Championship)
• Sarah Hammett (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Sophie Han (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Ava Hanneman (Winner of 2025 Minnesota State Junior Girls' Championship)
• Amelia Harris (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Alisa Helminen (Winner of Wisconsin State Golf Association/WPGA Junior Girls Championship)
• Ping-Hua Hsieh (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Katelyn Kong (Qualified for 2025 U.S. Women's Open)
• Navy Hubbs (Winner of 2025 UGA Utah State Girls' Junior State Championship)
• Thanana Kotchasanmanee (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Chloe Kovelesky (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Alexis Yanet Lamadrid (Winner of 2025 Mexican Women's Amateur)
• Arianna Lau (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Grace Lee (Winner of 2025 Georgia Girl's Championship)
• Jude Lee (Qualified for 2025 U.S. Women's Open; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Sophia Lee (Qualified for 2025 U.S. Women's Open)
• Rachel Lee (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Katie Lewis (Winner of 2025 Montana State Junior Championship)
• Sarah Lim (Qualified for 2025 U.S. Women's Open)
• Shauna Liu (Winner of 2024 Canadian Junior Girls)
• Yujie Liu (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Avery McCrery (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Madison Messimer (Quarterfinalist in 2024 U.S. Girls' Junior)
• Kate Moore (Winner of 2025 Oklahoma Golf Association Girls Junior Championship)
• Nikki Oh (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• One On (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19)
• Poppy Pewitt (Winner of 2025 Tennessee Girls' Junior)
• Amelie Phung (Winner of 2025 New York State Girls' Junior)
• Mallory Pitts (Winner of 2025 Carolinas Junior Girls' Championship)
• Constanza Quiroga Hinojosa (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Macie Rasmussen (Winner of 2025 Virginia Junior Girls' Championship)
• Grace Rho (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Pimpisa Rubrong (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Morgan Rupp (Winner of 2025 Iowa Girls' Junior)
• Emerie Schartz (Winner of 2025 Kansas Junior Amateur)
• Scarlett Schremmer (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Ella Scott (Winner of 2025 Colorado Junior State Championship)
• Athena Singh (Winner of 2025 Kentucky Girls Junior)
• Shyla Singh (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Anna Song (Winner of 2024 Southern California Golf Association Junior Amateur)
• Maria Mercedes Tabiante Marin (Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Asterisk Talley (Runner-up in 2024 U.S. Girls' Junior; Qualified for 2025 U.S. Women's Open; Returned 72-hole score from 2024 U.S. Women's Open; Runner-up in 2024 U.S. Women's Amateur; Playing member of the 2024 USA Curtis Cup Team; Top 20 age-eligible points leaders in Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of March 19; Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7; Winner of 2024 Ping Invitational)
• Nicole Tang (Winner of 2025 Washington State Junior Amateur)
• Brooke Thiele (Winner of 2025 Nebraska Girls' Championship)
• Luana Valero (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Reese Wallace (Winner of 2025 Illinois State Junior Girls' Championship)
• Zorah Williams (Winner of 2025 Connecticut Girls' Junior)
• Michelle Woo (Winner of 2025 California Junior Championship)
• Michelle Xing (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7)
• Eliza Yelverton (Winner of 2025 Mississippi Girls Junior Amateur)
• Natalie Yen (Winner of 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship)
• Asia Young (Winner of 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship)
• Amelie Zalsman (Top 50 age-eligible points leaders in the Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 7; Winner of 2024 Rolex Tournament of Champions; Winner of 2025 Rolex Girls Championship)
Schedule of Play
Practice rounds will take place July 12-13, and the championship schedule is as follows:
July 14 (Monday): First round, stroke play
July 15 (Tuesday): Second round, stroke play, field reduced to 64 players for match play
July 16 (Wednesday): Round of 64, match play
July 17 (Thursday): Round of 32/Round of 16, match play
July 18 (Friday): Quarterfinals/semifinals, match play
July 19 (Saturday): 36-hole championship final, match play
Broadcast Schedule
The 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will receive at least four hours of live coverage on Peacock. Golf Channel will air both semifinal matches on Friday and Saturday’s championship match on a tape-delay.
Date Network Broadcast Hours (EDT)
July 19 Peacock Semifinal matches, 3-5 p.m.
Golf Channel Semifinal matches, 9-11 p.m. (tape delay)
July 20 Peacock Championship match, 3-5 p.m.
Golf Channel Championship match, 9 p.m.-11 p.m. (tape delay)
What the Champion Receives
• Exemption from qualifying into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at The Riviera Country Club
• A gold medal and custody of the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy for one year
• A custom-made USGA champion’s ring
• Exemption from qualifying for all U.S. Girls’ Juniors prior to her 19th birthday
• Exemption from qualifying for the next two U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships
2024 Champion – Rianne Malixi
Rianne Malixi, 17, of the Philippines, made 14 birdies over 29 holes in defeating 15-year-old Asterisk Talley, of Chowchilla, Calif., 8 and 7, in the 36-hole final at El Caballero Country Club, in Tarzana, Calif. It was the largest margin of victory since the championship match moved from 18 holes to a 36-hole final in 2006. Malixi avenged her championship-match loss from a year earlier to Kiara Romero and would go on to beat Talley again in the championship match of the U.S. Women's Amateur a few weeks later, the first time the same two players have met in a title match in the same calendar year. Malixi became just the second player to win both the U.S. Girls' Junior and the U.S. Women's Amateur in the same year – a feat previously only accomplished by Eun Jeong Seong in 2016 – and the fourth female to win two USGA titles in the same year.
Championship History
The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship was established in 1949, one year after the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Philadelphia (Pa.) Country Club, one of the oldest clubs in the nation, hosted the inaugural championship on its Bala Course, which opened in 1891, three years before the founding of the USGA. Girls’ Junior champions have won the U.S. Women’s Amateur eight times and the U.S. Women’s Open seven times, most recently by 2012 winner Minjee Lee. Additionally, 20 champions have gone on to represent the USA on the Curtis Cup Team.
Considering the age limitations on a junior golf career, Hollis Stacy’s record of three consecutive U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships (1969-1971) is among the most remarkable accomplishments in USGA history. In 2016, Eun Jeong Seong joined the elite club of back-to-back U.S. Girls’ Junior winners, the first since 1971, and followed her victory by winning the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur, making her the first player to win the two prestigious championships in the same year, and just the third female to win multiple USGA championships in the same year, joining Pearl Sinn and Jennifer Song. Rianne Malixi matched Seong’s feat in 2024.
Kay Cornelius, the 1981 winner, is also among the noteworthy champions. Her mother, Kathy Cornelius, won the 1956 U.S. Women’s Open, making them the only mother-daughter tandem to have captured USGA championships. Other notable winners include Amy Alcott (1973), JoAnne Gunderson Carner (1956), Heather Farr (1982), Pat Hurst (1986), Ariya Jutanugarn (2011), I.K. Kim (2005), Nancy Lopez (1972, 1974), Inbee Park (2002), Lexi Thompson (2008), Mickey Wright (1952) and 2022 U.S. Women’s Open champion Minjee Lee (2012), whose brother, Min Woo, won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2016. They are the only siblings to have captured USGA Junior titles.
USGA Championships at Atlanta Athletic Club
This will be the seventh USGA championship hosted by Atlanta Athletic Club. AAC will become the first club to have hosted both the U.S. Open (1976, Jerry Pate) and U.S. Women’s Open (1990, Betsy King), the U.S. Amateur (2014, Gunn Yang) and U.S. Women’s Amateur (1950, Beverly Hanson) and U.S. Junior Amateur (2002, Charlie Beljan) and U.S. Girls’ Junior. AAC also hosted the 1984 U.S. Mid-Amateur, won by Michael Podolak over Bob Lewis, Jr., 5 and 4 on the club’s Highlands Course.
Notable Non-USGA Championships Hosted by Atlanta Athletic Club
1963 Ryder Cup Matches (USA) (East Lake)
1981 PGA Championship (Larry Nelson)
1982 Junior World Club (Nacho Garvas and José María Olazábal)
2001 PGA Championship (David Toms)
2011 PGA Championship (Keegan Bradley)
2017 Arnold Palmer Cup (USA)
2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (Nelly Korda)
USGA Championships in Georgia
The 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior will be the 29th USGA championship conducted in Georgia and the first since the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Capital City Club-Crabapple. Sea Island Golf Club, an annual PGA Tour stop and host of the RSM Classic, has hosted the most USGA championships in the state (8), having conducted four U.S. Senior Amateur Championships (1963, 1971, 1980, 1988), along with three U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs (1994, 2000, 2006), and the 2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Atlanta Athletic Club is closely behind with seven USGA championships (including this year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior).
The first USGA championship in the state of Georgia was the 1948 U.S. Amateur Public Links played at North Fulton Park Golf Club and won by Michael R. Ferentz. The only other U.S. Girls’ Junior to be contested in the Peach State was in 1971 when now-World Golf Hall of Famer Hollis Stacy defeated Amy Alcott at Augusta Country Club in 19 holes.
Future USGA championships in Georgia include the 2030 U.S. Amateur and 2035 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships at Atlanta Athletic Club.
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN GEORGIA
1948 U.S. Amateur Public Links | North Fulton Park G.C., Atlanta (Michael R. Ferentz)
1950 U.S. Women’s Amateur | Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek (Beverly Hanson)
1951 U.S. Women’s Open | Druid Hills G.C., Atlanta (Betsy Rawls)
1963 U.S. Senior Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Merrill L. Carlsmith)
1968 U.S. Senior Amateur | Atlanta C.C., Marietta (Curtis Person)
1970 U.S. Junior Amateur | Athens C.C., Athens (Gary Koch)
1971 U.S. Girls’ Junior | Augusta C.C., Augusta (Hollis Stacy)
1971 U.S. Women’s Amateur | Atlanta C.C., Marietta (Laura Baugh)
1971 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Carolyn Cudone)
1976 U.S. Open | Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek (Jerry Pate)
1980 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Dorothy Porter)
1984 U.S. Mid-Amateur | Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek (Michael Podolak)
1985 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sheraton Savannah R. & C.C., Savannah (Marlene Streit)
1988 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Lois Hodge)
1989 Walker Cup | Peachtree G.C., Atlanta (GB&I)
1990 U.S. Women’s Open | Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek (Betsy King)
1994 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Marlene Streit)
1999 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur | Cherokee Town & C.C., Atlanta (Alissa Herron)
2000 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Carol Semple Thompson)
2001 U.S. Amateur | East Lake G.C., Atlanta (Ben “Bubba” Dickerson)
2001 Walker Cup | Ocean Forest G.C. Sea Island (GB&I)
2002 U.S. Junior Amateur | Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek (Charlie Beljan)
2004 U.S. Mid-Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Austin Eaton III)
2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur | Ansley G.C., Roswell (Morgan Pressel)
2005 U.S. Senior Amateur | The Farm G.C., Rocky Face (Mike Rice)
2006 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur | Sea Island G.C., St. Simons Island (Diane Lang)
2014 U.S. Amateur | Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek (Gunn Yang)
2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur | Capital City Club-Crabapple, Atlanta (Matt Parziale)
U.S. GIRLS’ JUNIORS IN GEORGIA
1971: Augusta C.C., Augusta (Hollis Stacy)
Future U.S. Girls’ Junior Sites
2026: Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham, N.C./July 13-18
2027: Canterbury Golf Club, Cleveland, Ohio/July 12-17
2030: The Country Club, Brookline, Mass./July 15-20
2031: Trinity Forest Golf Club, Dallas, Texas/July 13-18
2032: Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, Pinehurst, N.C./July 12-17
2034: Sand Valley Resort, Nekoosa, Wis./July 17-22
2035: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore./July 16-21
2037: Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wis./July 13-18
2038: Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Dates TBD
2045: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore./Dates TBD
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