15-year-old Aphrodite Deng from Calgary has become the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championship. She also earned a spot in the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera.

This was Deng’s third junior major title of the year, following the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in April and the Mizuho Americas Open in May. Aphrodite Deng beat Chen Xingtong of Singapore on July 19 in the 36-hole final at Atlanta Athletic Club. The win has helped her earn entry into the U.S. Women’s Open next year at Riviera and the U.S. Women’s Amateur this year and next.

Born in Calgary, Deng lived in Montreal with her family before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She currently lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

Deng didn’t focus on winning from the start and faced tough competition from Chen, a 16-year-old from Singapore. Deng was able to finally secure the win on the 35th hole by matching Chen’s score.

Source: The Associated Press, CBC