Choi Overtakes Clemente in Junior PGA Championships; VanArragon Is T25

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. --- Gianna Clemente and Yana Wilson were two of the featured players in each of the two most recent U.S. Junior Girls tournaments. Clemente made a deep run in each of them, losing in the final last year and in the semifinals this year. Wilson was the one who beat Clemente in the championship match last year, and she was the medalist this year.

So far in the 2023 Junior PGA Championships, Clemente has set the tournament record with a 7-under-par 64 on Tuesday at the Hot Springs Country Club's Park Course and followed it with a 1-under 70 on Wednesday at the Hot Springs Arlington Course. The resulting 36-hole total of 134 (8 under) has her in second place, three ahead of Wilson, who is third after putting up a 137 (65-72).

Kylee Choi is new to the party. She was nowhere in sight at the U.S. Junior Girls, but she's in first place after two rounds in the Junior PGA, having shot 66-67--133.

The 16-year-old from Murrieta, Calif., made seven birdies in Wednesday's second round, including birdies on her last two holes, the eighth and the ninth at Arlington, which moved her ahead of Clemente going into the third round of this 72-hole tournament.

There is a tie for fourth at 139. Kinsley (Zixin) Ni got there with a 72 on Day 2, and Alice Zhao shot 71.

Kathryn VanArragon, the two-time Minnesota state high school champion from Blaine -- she will start her freshman year at the University of St. Thomas in a few weeks -- is tied for 25th after posting a pair of 72s. The three-time Minnesota Junior PGA winner got to 72 in different ways in the two rounds. She made 10 pars, four birdies, three bogeys and a double at Park on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she made three consecutive bogeys at the par-3 10th and the par-4 11th and 12th holes at Arlington, but had 13 pars and two bogeys on the other 15 holes.

Reese McCauley, another two-time state high school champion, also made the cut. She did it with a 147 (73-74), but the high school senior to be (she's home-schooled but plays for Simley) had to close her second round with a birdie at Arlington on Wednesday to do it.

In the Boys Division, they played the second round at Park. Starting on the 11th hole, Miles Russell chipped in for a birdie right off the bat, and chipped in again for an eagle at the par-5 12th, on the way to a 5-under 663. He's at 134 (8 under) after 36 holes, and tied for first with Michael Riebe, who has a pair of 67s thus far.

Sam Udovich, who won a state high school title while he was at St. Croix Lutheran, before transferring to Cretin-Derham Hall, was the only Minnesota boy to make the cut. It was a case of "the par 5s giveth, and the par 5s taketh away" for Udovich on Tuesday, when he eagled the par-5 10th at Arlington and doubled the par-5 seventh hole on the way to a 2-over 73. On Wednesday, he made two birdies and a bogey on the front nine at Park, and nine pars on the back nine while shooting 70. As a result, he's tied for 40th with a two-day tab of 143.

Each of the two divisions will be cut again after the third round, this time to the top 30 and ties.


Junior PGA Championships

At Hot Springs Country Club

Park Course (par 71) &

Arlington Course (par 71)

Hot Springs, Ark.

Grils Division

Second-round results

1. Kylee Choi, Murrieta, Calif. 66P-67A--133

2. Gianna Clemente, Estero, Fla. 64P-70A--134

3. Yana Wilson, Hutchiinson, Nev. 65P-72A--137

T4. Kinsley (Zixin) Ni, Los Angeles. 67P-72A--139

T4. Alice Zhau, Irvine, Calif. 68P-71A--139

T4. Jasmine Koo, Cerritos, Calif. 71P-68A--139

7. Ashleen Kaur, Cypress, Texas. 69P-71A--140

T25. Kathryn VanArragon, Blaine 72P-72A--144

T57. Reese McCauley, Inver Grove Hts. 73P-74A--147

Missed cut -- 147

Ava Hanneman, Orono 77P-75A--152

Boys Division

T1. Michael Riebe, Encinitas, Calif. 68A-66P--134

T1. Miles Russell, Jacksonville Bch. Fla. 67A-67P--134

T3. Jack Vojtko, Stow, Ohio 69A-67P--136

T3. Will Gordon, Hot Springs, Ark. 71A-65-P--136

T3. Jay Leng, San Diego 68A-68P--136

T3. Kihel Akina, Alpine, Utah 68A-68P--136

T40. Sam Udovich, Inver Grove Hts. 73A-70P--143

Missed cut -- 145

Andrew Ramos, Blaine 76A-73P--149

Ryan Stendahl, Maple Grove. 79A-74P--153