News

WILTON, N.Y. – The 83rd NYS Boys’ & 62nd NYS Girls’ 18U Junior Amateur Golf Championships head to McGregor Links Country Club for the first time since 2011.

For the second year, these championships are designated USGA Exemption Events, meaning the winners of each tournament will be awarded exemptions into the 2025 U.S. Junior (July 21-26 at Trinity Forest Golf Club) and U.S. Girls’ Junior (July 14-19 at Atlanta Athletic Club) championships, respectively, later this summer. The top-5 finishers in the Boys' 18U Junior Championship will also earn an exemption into the 102nd NYS Men's Amateur Championship at Yahnundasis Golf Club, July 8-10.

Related: Pairings / Course Photos / Past Winners (Boys) / Past Winners (Girls)

FAST FACTS

Dates: July 1-2, 2025

Field Size: 156 players (106 Boys, 50 Girls)

Format: 54 holes, individual stroke play

• There is a cut after 18 holes in each division to:
  • Girls' 18U - Low 24 & Ties
  • Boys' 18U - Low 40 & Ties

PAR AND YARDAGE

McGregor Links Country Club will be set up at 6,641 yards for the Boys’ Division and 5,878 yards for the Girls’ Division. The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions.

ARCHITECTS

McGregor Links Country Club was designed by Pelham native Devereux Emmet and built by  Edward T. Brackett, a former state senator, in 1921. Emmet was a pioneering American golf course architect who has designed over 150 courses worldwide. Brackett envisioned a golf course to cater to the growing tourism in Saratoga Springs during the 1920s. The course is renowned for its links-style design and is noted for its unique hole layouts, where no two holes run side by side.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

The 83rd NYS Boys’ Junior Amateur Field contains three NYSGA champions: 

Connor Jackson, 16, of East Aurora CC, won the 2023 NYS Boys’ 14U Junior Amateur at Lake Placid Club, going 74-71 (+3) to win by three strokes. Jackson also claimed the BDGA Sub-Junior Stroke Play Championship in the same season, eventually taking home the BDGA’s Sub-Junior Player of the Year Honors. He was also runner-up in the 2022 BDGA Junior Match Play Championship. 

Jacob Olearczyk, 17, of NYSGA eClub - Central NY, is a two-time Boys’ 14U Junior Amateur winner (2021, 2022) who recently announced his commitment to play Div. I golf at Le Moyne College. Olearcyzk finished in fifth in the Boys 14-15 division at the 2023 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club. He is a four-time All-Mohawk Valley Golf Team recipient, a two-time CNY PGA Player of the Year, and a four-time NYSPHSAA Section III North Division individual champion.

Tanner LaTorre, 15, NYSGA eClub - Capital Region, is the reigning Boys’ 14U Junior Amateur champion. He’s coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2025 NYSPHSAA Boys State  Golf Championship. In 2024, as a sophomore, he became the first golfer from Ichabod Crane HS to win the NYSPHSAA Section II championship. He also competed in the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt competition, making history with his brother, Mason, as the first pair of brothers to compete in the event together. 

The 62nd NYS Girls’ Junior Amateur Field contains four NYSGA champions: 

Sophia Li, 17, of MGA eClub - NYC, has won the Girls’ 18U Junior Amateur Championship twice (2022, 2024) and is a past Drive, Chip and Putt champion (2019). The Dartmouth College commit picked up her first AJGA victory in 2024. She also produced a top-10 at the 2023 PGA Junior Girls' Championship and recently finished ninth at the 2025 Women’s Met Amateur Championship. She owns an undefeated high school golf record at Hunter College HS and boasts four Public Schools Athletic League championships.

Jordan Levitt, 18, of MGA eClub - NYC, emerged victorious at Lake Placid Club in 2023. She also finished runner-up, garnering low junior honors in the process, at the 2024 NYS Women’s Amateur Championship, in addition to winning the Northern Junior Championship later on that summer. So far in 2025, the Notre Dame commit has won the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach VCB Junior Championship and notched a pair of top-25 finishes at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and the Women’s Orlando International Amateur Championship. 

Lily Zhang, 16, of Park Country Club, won the 2023 NYS Women’s Amateur Championship at Corning Country Club. The six-stroke victory granted Zhang, then 14, the title of the second youngest Women’s Amateur champion. She finished in the top 10 at the 2023 NYS Girls' Junior. Zhang has won the last eight Western NY PGA Junior Tour events she has played in, dating back to 2021. The latest victory, which was the Section’s Junior Championship in June, will send her to the Junior PGA Championship in July.  

Alexandra Phung, 14, of the Metropolitan PGA Junior Golf Club, captured the 2023 Girls’ 14U Junior Amateur Championship. She is one of four Drive, Chip and Putt competitors to have ever won multiple national championships. She won the Girls 10-11 title in 2023 and this year notched the Girls 12-13 crown in what was her record-tying fourth National Finals appearance (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025).

Other Players to Watch in the Boys’ 18U Field

Colin Barber, 18, of Cobblestone Creek Country Club, is a three-time section champion and first-team all-league honoree at Victor High School. In 2024, he led Victor to the Section V title, posting a score of 36 to earn the individual medalist honor. He holds the course record at Cobblestone Creek Country Club, carding a 64, 8-under par. He is committed to playing Division I golf at St. Bonaventure.  

Blaise Brixner, 17, of Binghamton Country Club, finished in T9 at the 2024 NYSPHSAA Boys Golf Championships, posting a two-over score for the event. Additionally, he won the STAC (Southern Tier Athletic Conference) championship in October 2023. Also came in 7th at Mark Twain GC in the Bernard’s Custom Logo Junior Open, and 6th place at the Junior PGA Championship Qualifier at Timber Banks GC.

Brody Burgess, 18, of Cobblestone Creek Country Club, a recent graduate of Victor High School, earned medalist honors and will be Section V's lead player heading into the NYSPHSAA Championships at Mill Creek Country Club June 8-9, winning the State Qualifier. He ended up finishing 10th in the NYSPHSAA 2025 Boys Golf State Championship at Mill Creek Golf Club. Burgess advanced to the final U.S. Open qualifier in May, where he shot four under at a local qualifier at Mendon GC. Burgess finished T14 last in last year's NYS Men’s Amateur Championship at Wanakah Country Club. He is committed to play Division I Golf at West Virginia University.

Leo Chu, 17, of Hudson Hills Golf Course, won the 2023 NYSPHSAA Section 1 Boys Golf Championship as a sophomore while representing Scarsdale HS. Chu fired an even par 213 (73-72-68) at last year’s Boys' 18U Junior Amateur to finish fifth. He notched two top-ten finishes at AJGA events last season, and also cut the NYS Men's Amateur.

Kieran Cummins, 18, of Wolferts Roost Country Club, has qualified for the PGA Club Championship for the past three years by way of winning Wolferts Roost’s club championship. He’s committed to play division I golf at Fordham University and won the NYSPHSAA Section II Championship in 2023, representing Shaker HS.

Owen Jessop, 18, of Westhampton Country Club, finished 12th at the 2024 NYS Boys' 18U Junior at The Links at Hiawatha with two rounds under par. He is a two-time Met PGA tournament winner, including last year, when he won a share of the Carter Cup, as the tournament had to be suspended due to weather. He also competed in the 75th United States Junior Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club. Jessop is committed to playing Division I golf at Davidson College.

Liam Moloney, 18, of the Golf Club at Mansion Ridge, placed in the top 10 in the NYS Junior Amateur in 2023. He also won the 2024 MET PGA Junior Championship, which qualified him for the Junior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club. He most recently captured the MET Junior PGA Championship at Hampshire Country Club. Moloney is committed to play Division I golf at Loyola Maryland. 

Sean Roddy, 17, of Pinehaven Country Club, a recent graduate of Guilderland HS, placed 13th in the NYSPHSAA boys championships this year with a score of seven over for the 2 days. Last year, he finished 14th at the 18U Junior Amateur Championship. For the second straight year made the state team and finished 3rd at the NYS Section 2 state qualifier.

CJ Strong, 18, of Country Club of Troy, finished runner-up at this year’s NYSPHSAA Boys Golf State Championship, posting four-under for the two days with scores of 70-68. Strong is committed to playing collegiate golf at Assumption University. He also competed last year at Wanakah in the NYS Men’s Amateur Championship.

Jackson Saroney, 17, of Drumlins Golf Club, is coming off a NYSPHSAA individual state title where he set a new record. His 36-hole total of 132 was the lowest in NYSPHSAA golf history, dating back to 1973. Saroney, who attends Jamesville-Dewitt High School, placed T4 in Boys' 18U Amateur, T8 at the NYS Amateur, and won two SDGA events (Junior District Match Play and Junior Classic) last summer—also won the SDGA Junior Player of the Year honors in 2024. He’s committed to playing collegiate golf at Penn State. 

Jack Tebeau, 18, of Wanakah Country Club, a three-time all-Catholic boys individual golf champion with the Monsignor Martin High School Athletic Association, took first at the 2024 New York State Federation Golf Championship. He is also a two-time winner of the BDGA Sub-Junior Stroke Play and won the Match Play in 2021. Two years ago at the NYS Boys' 18U, he finished T21. Tebeau is committed to play Division I collegiate golf at Binghamton University.

Hudson Vargas, 15, of Rockaway Hunting Club, is the recent winner of the 104th Long Island boys championship. Shooting 4-under and claiming the trophy. He also claimed first place at the boys 14-15 Northern NJ Spring Junior Open, winning by four strokes.

YiWen “Kevin” Wang, 17, of MET PGA Junior Golf Club, is a two-time All-State selection out of Eastchester High School who was awarded lohud’s Player of the Year in 2023 as a sophomore. He recently finished in ninth place at the 2025 NYSPHSAA Boys Golf State Championship.

Danny Wehle, 18, of Oak Hill Country Club, finished third in last year’s NYS Boys’ 18U Junior Amateur at Links at Hiawatha Landing. He is currently ranked 449 in the Rolex AJGA Ranking Statistics. He finished T18 in the Golf Performance Academy Junior Championship this April.

Josh Yan, 17, of Trump National GC Hudson Valley, currently ranked 175th in the Rolex AJGA Ranking Statistics, has one AJGA win to his name, which he achieved last year in the AJGA Junior at Huntsville. He has competed in two events this year, coming in T10 at the Visit Goldsboro, NC Junior Championship and T27 at the Lanto Junior Championship. Yan is committed to play Division I golf at St. John's University. 

Dan Young, 16, of Bellevue Country Club, placed T7 in this year's NYSPHSAA boys championship at Mill Creek. The rising Junior at Westhill in Syracuse, N.Y., came in at four-over par for the tournament. He also finished 3rd in the NYS Boys’ 14U Golf Championship at Soaring Eagles in 2022.

Other Players to Watch in the Girls’ 18U Field

Delaney Abel, 14, of Corning Country Club, recently claimed third place in the 2025 NYSPHSAA Girls' Golf Championships at Wild Wood Country Club. Additionally, she was T1 at the NYS Federation golf championship this year. She finished T5 at last year's New York State Girls 18U Junior Championship, shooting 2-over each of the three rounds, finishing at 6-over for the tournament. Abel won the Section IV title as a 7th grader in 2023 and was recognized as girls’ co-golfer of the year in the Southern Tier Report All-Star Team. She finished 18th solo at last year's New York State Women’s Amateur Championship at Skaneateles Country Club. 

Renna Chang, 17, of Youth On Course-MGA, is currently ranked 392nd on the Rolex AJGA Rankings Statistics and recently competed in the AJGA Junior at Indiana. Last year, she placed 16th in the 18U NYS Junior Championship. She also placed T4 in the Met Junior PGA Championship. She is committed to play collegiate golf at Amherst College. 

Madison Chen, 16, of North Shore Country Club, recently won her second Nassau girls' golf championship at Manhasset High School on Long Island, N.Y. She competed in the 2025 NYSPHSAA Girls' Golf Championship, finishing in 27th place. Last year, she placed fifth in the 18U Junior Girls Championships, and in 2022, she was runner-up at Soaring Eagles. Chen also played in the Ochsner Health/AJGA New Orleans Classic in May, where she finished 21st.

Nina Choe, 16, of Pelham Country Club, won the 2025 NYSPHSAA Girls' Golf Championships last month, shooting -6 for the tournament and dominating the field with a 7-stroke lead. She has finished in the top 5 for the past two years, last year shooting 4-over and finishing third, and the year before finishing fourth with a three-over tournament. Choe, a junior, announced her commitment to play Division I collegiate golf at UC Davis in California. 

Hayden Knapp, 15, of Glen Falls Country Club, recently competed in the 2025 NYSPHSAA Girls' Golf Championships at Wild Wood Country Club and finished as the runner-up to Choe at 1-over. Last year, at the 18U Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship, she finished solo ninth, shooting 7-over for the three rounds. She was named the 2024 Times Union Girls Golf Athlete of the Year. In 2024, she finished tied for 5th in the 12-13 age group at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National. Knapp also finished tied for 6th in last year’s New York State Women’s Amateur Championship at Skaneateles Country Club. 

Zara Gardam, 17, of MET PGA Junior GC, placed 18th in the 18U Junior Amateur Championship last year. Last year, she placed fifth in the Girls’  NYSPHSAA championship, shooting four-over par for the tournament.

Emma Lee, 18, of Scarsdale Golf Club, finished runner-up in two of the last three NYSPHSAA championships. She also qualified and played in the 75th U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Championship and the Girls Junior PGA Championship last year. This year, she placed 6th in the NYSPHSAA girls' golf championship, but her HS took home the New York State Girls’ Team Championship.

Aliya Liberatore, 18, of Yahnundasis Golf Club, finished solo fourth last year in the 18U Junior Amateur, finishing at five over par and six shots off the lead. Last year, she finished second in the AJGA Junior at Huntsville. She competed in the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship with a T90 finish and a 19th-place finish at the Callaway Junior at Canebrake Club this April. She is committed to playing Division I golf at the University of Missouri.

Amelie Phung, 17, of Youth on Course - MGA, won the Florida Junior Tour MLK Major at Seminole Legacy Golf Club last year by six strokes. She also claimed the Florida Junior Tour Labor Day Major, winning by three strokes. The senior also has an AJGA event victory, winning the Huntsville Junior (AL) in May 2022. Phung finished runner-up in the Women's Porter Cup in 2024. She placed T5 at this event last year with her sister, Alexandra. Amelie is committed to playing collegiate Division I golf at Rice University. 

Isabella Salerno, 18, of Westchester Country Club, finished 10th in last year's 18U Junior Amateur Championship. She also placed 6th in the 2024 NYS Women's Amateur Championship at Skaneateles Country Club. She played in four AJGA tournaments last year, finishing 8th at the UHY Baltimore Junior, 19th at the UHY Albany Junior, and 20th at the Golf Performance Center Junior. She is committed to play collegiate golf at Bowdoin College in Maine.

Katlynn Smith, 14, of Rip Van Winkle Country Club, was the runner-up at last year's 14U Junior Amateur Championship at Green Lakes State Park GC. Recently, she claimed 3rd place in the NENY PGA Junior Championship-Major #1 at Waubeeka Golf Links.

Daniella Sutor, 17 of the Met PGA Junior Golf Club, is ranked 1174th in the WAGR with four wins on her resume. Last year, she came in ninth place in the NYS Women's Amateur Championship. The year before, she finished T6 in the Girls Junior Amateur Championship at the Lake Placid Club. She won the APS Junior Tour (Slovakia), Youth Region Tour (Czech Republic), and the Ill Winter Cup (Hungary) all in 2024.

Kamryn Yerman, 17, of Cedar Lake Club, recently won the Section III championship for the third year in a row. She finished 31st at the 2025 NYSPHSAA Girls' Golf Championships at Wild Wood Country Club. 

WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?

Ardsley CC’s Jonathan Oakes went wire-to-wire to win the 82nd NYS Boys’ 18U Junior Amateur. The Tarrytown native dominated the field with an eight-stroke victory, highlighted by just two bogeys across his entire 54 holes. After setting the tone with a first-round 64 that put him comfortably at the top of the leaderboard, Oakes would close out the tournament with zero bogeys over his final 34 holes to finish at an astonishing 14-under. 

Sophia Li, a member of the MGA eClub - NYC, erased a significant deficit to catch the defending champion and capture her second NYS Girls’ 18U Junior Amateur title. The Manhattan native, who also won this championship in 2022 and finished runner-up in 2023, came back from five strokes down over her final ten holes to best Jordan Levitt. Li became the 13th player to win multiple NYS Girls’ Junior Amateur titles, joining the likes of Bailey Shoemaker and Dottie Pepper. 

PAST NYSGA CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED AT MCGREGOR LINKS 

• NYS Men’s Amateur (1926, 1982)
• NYS Men’s Senior Amateur (1976, 1978) 
• NYS Men’s Mid-Amateur (1993)
• NYS Women’s Amateur (1974, 1987, 2022)
• NYS Women’s Mid-Amateur (2022)
• NYS Boys’ and Girls’ 18U Junior Amateur (2011) 
• NYS Boys’ Sub-Junior (now 14U Junior) Amateur (2011)

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011?

South Salem’s Nicole Morales won the Girls’ Championship by 14 strokes as the only player to finish under par at three-under. In the Boys’ Division, North Tonawanda native James Blackwell earned a two-stroke victory, finishing at one-over.