Fitzmorris Earns Medalist Honors, Barry Advances at U.S. Girls' Junior Qualifying

STILLWATER, Minn. – Stillwater's Emma Fitzmorris used back-to-back birdies at the par-4 15th and par-3 16th to separate herself from the pack Thursday at Oak Glen Golf Course, carding the lone under-par round of the day — a 2-under 70 — to claim medalist honors at U.S. Girls' Junior qualifying, June 11. Fitzmorris, recently named the 2026 Ms. Minnesota Golf as a senior at Hill-Murray, punched her ticket to the 2026 championship at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C.

Locked in a tight race for much of the afternoon, Fitzmorris broke the round open late, sticking her approach at the 15th before following with another birdie at the 16th to reach red figures and finish two strokes clear of a 38-player field that featured juniors from six states and as far away as Hong Kong.

"The highlight of my round was definitely when I made my first birdie putt," Fitzmorris said. "I think I was on 15, I kept lipping out all day and finally made one."

Joining Fitzmorris in advancing to the national championship is Reese Barry of Medina, who turned in a steady round of even-par-72 to claim the second and final qualifying spot, holding off a tightly bunched group of contenders behind her.

"The highlight of my round was probably on 17 when I made up and down out of the bunker," Barry said.

The leaderboard told the story of just how slim the margins were Thursday. Isabella Xi of Hong Kong, China came up a single stroke shy of Barry, settling for first alternate honors with her round of 1-over 73.

One shot further back, a logjam of five players at 2-over 74 sorted itself out with Albertville's Abigail Labrador emerging to claim second alternate honors. Sophie Christianson of Detroit Lakes, Chanhassen's Kieley Hanson, Plymouth's Lauren Chambs and Bloomington's Elizabeth Fong also finished at 74, each left to wonder what one swing here or there might have meant.

In July, the two qualifiers will head to Durham, where the Rees Jones-designed Old Chatham Golf Club hosts the U.S. Girls' Junior for the first time from July 13-18. The club, which opened for play in 2001, welcomed its first USGA championship in 2019, when Bob Royak captured the U.S. Senior Amateur.

First played in 1949, the U.S. Girls' Junior has long served as a launching pad for the game's brightest young stars, with past champions including Mickey Wright, Nancy Lopez, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang. The championship opens with two rounds of stroke play before the low 64 advance to match play, culminating in a 36-hole championship match.