Aphrodite Deng, Miles Russell win Junior Invitational at Sage Valley
GRANITEVILLE, S.C. (March 22, 2025) – Miles Russell recorded his third-straight round of 2-under 70 on Saturday to win the Boys Division of the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club, and Aphrodite Deng shot a 1-over 73 to win the Girls Division.
Both Russell and Deng shot the low rounds of the day in their divisions to claim their first Gold Jackets. Both players were grateful for the extra 18 holes, as the Junior Invitational expanded from 54 to 72 holes this year.
On a day where fast greens, tough pin placements and a relentless breeze challenged every golfer, Russell found his success extra gratifying.
“This golf course, it’s one of the toughest we play on top of being the nicest,” he said. “This one is special.”
On the 14th hole, Russell stood four shots behind fellow American Jackson Byrd and two shots behind Joshua Bai of New Zealand, who had led the tournament through the first three rounds. But Bai and Byrd stumbled down the stretch, making two double bogeys apiece, while Russell played the back nine at even par to win the tournament with a total score of 9-under 279.
“The last few days my ball striking wasn’t great, but I found something on the range last night and hit the ball better today,” Russell said afterward. “When I missed, I was able to get up and down and was really fortunate. I just hung in there and grinded it out.”
Byrd (-7) finished two shots back in second, with Bai (-6), Kiwi Robby Turnbull (-5) and American Carson Bertagnole (-3) rounding out the top five.
In the Girls Division, Deng of Canada started the final round with a 4-shot lead and only grew her advantage as the day went on, finishing the tournament with a total score of 7-under 281. Yujie Liu (-1) of China finished second, Soomin Oh of South Korea and Thailand’s Pimpisa Rubrong tied for third at even par, and Scarlett Schremmer (+5) was the highest-finishing American in fifth.
“I am feeling really good right now,” Deng said on the 18th green afterward, her family standing by her side. “It’s really nice.”
Full results can be found at www.juniorinvitational.com.
About the Junior Invitational
The 14th annual Junior Invitational features 24 of the top junior girl players and 36 of the top boy players in the world. Recognized by Golfweek as the No. 1 junior event in golf, the Junior Invitational welcomes the best golfers from around the world to Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, S.C. Founded in 2011, the Junior Invitational has become one of the most desired invitations in the world of competitive junior golf. Past participants have included some of the top names in golf: Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Colin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Anna Davis, Megha Ganne and more. For more information and tickets, visit www.juniorinvitational.com.