Aphrodite Deng, a 15-year-old golf prodigy from Canada, recently made history. She is the first Canadian in history to win the prestigious U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship! This remarkable milestone victory happened at the Atlanta Athletic Club, where Deng had the privilege of competing against Xingtong Chen of Singapore. The championship match ended with Deng winning against Chen 2 and 1.
Deng’s road to victory was certainly nothing short of prolific, dazzling her way to the eventual win. After 18 holes, she was in complete control with a 4-up advantage over Chen. Despite the pressure, Deng maintained her composure, stating, “I think I stayed in the moment throughout the whole match.” This strong focus on the ground level would prove to be needed as Chen made significant gains over the course of the campaign to close the gap.
Xingtong Chen, the first player from Singapore ever to make it to the championship match, proved why she’s world class. In the second 18 holes, she was able to make it a two-stroke margin on two different occasions. Chen sealed her final win on the course at the 34th hole by making a confident par. Deng sealed the victory on the 35th hole by doing the same as Chen.
This victory is Deng’s third junior major title of the year. She won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the Mizuho Americas Open in May. In addition to winning the championship title, she earned a highly coveted entry into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. This currently unheralded achievement deepens the notions that she is an emerging golf talent to watch.
Reflecting on her win, Deng expressed her disbelief and excitement: “It really means a lot. I just can’t believe that I won.”
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