Four New Yorkers in the Field at 75th Girls’ Junior Championship

July 19, 2024

UPDATE 7/19 -- Of the four New York players in the field at El Caballero, only Kennedy Swedick made the stroke play cut and progressed to the match play bracket. Swedick went 72-71 (+1) to finish T28. 

Related: Results / Championship Home 

Swedick took her Round of 64 matchup against Remi Bacardi in 22 holes. A late push from Bacardi, of Miami, Florida, forced a playoff, with Swedick making a clinching birdie on the 22nd hole. Swedick faced off with Rianne Malixi of the Philippines in her Round of 32 matchup. This time, Swedick finished on the wrong side of a playoff, with Malixi making a prevailing birdie on the first extra hole. 

Sophia Li (+11), Emma Lee (+14) and Amanda Phillips (+19) were each unable to finish in the low 64 and did not advance to match play. 

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TARZANA, C.A. – Four junior girls from New York State will tee it up for the 75th Girls’ Junior Championship at El Caballero Country Club July 15-20. Sophia Li of New York City, Emma Lee of Scarsdale, Amanda Phillips of New York City and Kennedy Swedick of Albany will be the four representing the Empire State out in Southern California. 

The championship will feature 36 holes of stroke play - 18 on both July 15 and July 16 - with the low 64 scorers progressing to the match play bracket. There will be six rounds of match play, with the final match being played over 36 holes on Saturday, July 20.

El Caballero Country Club will measure 6,347 yards and play to a Par of 36-35-71. 

Of the four, Sophia Li, 17, was the only player to receive an exemption to the 75th playing of the national championship. She went 71-72-71 (-1) to capture the 2024 NYS Junior Girls’ Amateur (her second), which came with the exemption to El Caballero. Her first New York State victory came at the 2022 Junior Girls’ Amateur at Soaring Eagles Golf Course. 

Kennedy Swedick, 18, cracked the field via sectional qualifying at Seven Oaks Golf Club. Swedick shot a 69 (-3) to earn co-medalist honors alongside Avery Nordman of Canada. It will be the Albany-area player’s fourth consecutive appearance at a U.S. Junior. The Virginia Cavaliers commit made it all the way to the Round of 16 in last year’s tournament at Eisenhower Golf Club, before being eliminated 1-up by Sidney Yermish. Swedick has won three consecutive NYSPHSAA Girls’ Golf Championships and also captured the 92nd NYS Women’s Amateur Championship at McGregor Links Country Club. 

Amanda Phillips, 18, shot a 73 (+1) to secure one of three qualifying spots at the Huntsville Golf Club qualifier conducted by the Golf Association of Philadelphia. 

Emma Lee, 17, punched her ticket to El Caballero with a one-over, 72, in sectional qualifying at Cedar Hill Country Club in Livingston, New Jersey. 

Listed below are the tee times for the four players’ opening rounds in the U.S. Girls’ Junior (EST): 

NAME RD 1 (EST) RD 2 (EST)
Kennedy Swedick #1 - 8:17 a.m. #10 - 1:32 p.m.
Amanda Phillips #10 - 12:27 p.m. #1 - 7:11 a.m.
Sophia Li #1 - 1:10 p.m. #10 - 7:55 a.m.
Emma Lee #1 - 1:32 p.m. #10 - 8:17 a.m.