EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022, AT 3 P.M. ET
Contact: Hailey Hernandez, AJGA
(678) 425-1778, hhernandez@ajga.org
Lee, Schroeder honored as top junior golfers of 2022
BRASELTON, Ga. – Eric Lee of Fullerton, California, was named the top male junior golfer in the world with the American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Junior Player of the Year award. Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, Florida, earned the top honor in the Girls Division and joins Lee on a historical list of Rolex Junior Players of the Year: Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn and Inbee Park.
Lee becomes the first California native to receive Rolex Junior Player of the Year honors in the Boys Division since 2010, while Schroeder is the first Florida native to earn top honors in the Girls Division since 2009. Both juniors are also honored as First Team Rolex Junior All-Americans with this distinction.
The Rolex Junior All-America Teams annually recognize the world’s premier junior golfers. The 2022 class includes 48 boys and 48 girls, ages 14-19, from 24 states and 10 countries, including Canada, China, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
These young men and women distinguished themselves through exceptional play in 145 national junior golf events, 128 of which were conducted by the AJGA. The teams were determined exclusively through the Rolex AJGA Rankings as of October 12.
Lee, Schroeder, and the 2022 Rolex Junior All-America Teams will be honored through the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 19. ‘The Greatest Night in Junior Golf’ will recognize the accomplishments and celebrate the achievements of the Rolex Junior All-America teams, Rolex Scholastic Junior All-America honorees, and Jerry Cole Sportsmanship Award recipients together in-person for the first time since 2019.
Rolex Junior All-Americans and a field of the top players in the Rolex AJGA Rankings will compete at the Rolex Tournament of Champions, November 19-23 at TPC San Antonio – Canyons Course in San Antonio, Texas, and coinciding Ping An Bank Junior All-Star Invitational at Canyon Springs Golf Club on November 20-23.
For more information, please contact Hailey Hernandez (hhernandez@ajga.org) in the AJGA Communications Department at (678) 425-1788 or visit ajga.org. Please visit the following links for photos of the Rolex Junior Players of the Year or Rolex Junior All-America Teams – Boys and Girls.
Eric Lee
In 2022, the 17-year-old did not finish outside the top 10 in seven national junior golf events to end the season at No. 1 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
The University of California, Berkeley commit started his Rolex Junior Player of the Year campaign winning the season-opening Rolex Tournament of Champions at PGA National Resort & Spa with a score of 8-under-par 278. He managed a come-from-behind win and outlasted Jackson Koivun in a one-hole playoff to seal the victory in his season debut. The win also marked Lee’s first Invitational title.
Lee started off 2022 at the AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods in February and finished T3 with rounds of 71-67-71—209. He finished T9 at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in March. In June, Lee returned to the AJGA Invitational circuit finishing in seventh place at the Wyndham Invitational presented by Truist, carding the low round of the tournament with a 5-under-par 65 at Sedgefield Country Club.
He also had solid performances in match play. At the Polo Golf Junior Classic, Lee went 2-1 in pool play before losing in the quarterfinals. In his second appearance at Wyndham Cup, Lee had a 2-2 record to help the West Team secure its first victory since 2018.
Lee faced tough competition at the 74th U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. In his quarterfinal match, he survived 20 holes against Australia’s Jeffrey Guan. In his semifinal match, Lee fell short to eventual champion Wenyi Ding of China, also extending the match to 20 holes.
In his sixth AJGA Invitational appearance this season, Lee finished T8 at The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex. He had a three-round total of 4-under-par 212 at TPC Sawgrass, the home of the PGA TOUR’s The PLAYERS Championship.
During his final match play appearance this season, Lee was the top-ranked player to qualify for the Junior Presidents Cup U.S. Team. Lee helped the U.S. Team secure at 13-11 win against the International Team at Myers Park Country Club in September.
Lee will end 2022 with a second appearance at the Rolex Tournament of Champions later in November, as he looks to defend his title.
Kaitlyn Schroeder
The University of Alabama verbal commit earned Rolex Junior All-America honors for the third time in 2022, ending the season at No. 1 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. In nine national junior golf events, Schroeder secured two wins and three additional top-five finishes.
The Jacksonville native started her campaign with a T4 finish at the 2021 Rolex Tournament of Champions at PGA National Resort & Spa. Making her 2022 debut, Schroeder had her third appearance at the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational USA presented by Rolex and finished T18. She also competed at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in the spring.
In her first event of the summer, Schroeder finished T5 at the Dye Junior Invitational at Crooked Stick Golf Club in June. Two weeks later, she earned her first AJGA Invitational win at the 31st Rolex Girls Junior Championship. Her rounds of 69-73-72-72—286 were good for a three-shot victory. Schroeder held a share of the lead throughout all four rounds. The victory was her first AJGA title since her three-win performance in 2020.
Schroeder then returned to Wyndham Cup, where she was one of three players making their second appearance on the East Team. Continuing with match play, Schroeder also competed in the U.S. Girls’ Junior where she advanced to the Round of 32.
The 17-year-old found the winner’s circle again in August with a victory at the Girls Junior PGA Championship at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club. She closed with a 6-under-par 66 that included three birdies in her last five holes to win by two shots. The victory was Schroeder’s lowest score in relation to par over the 72 holes, finishing at 14-under par 274.
Rounding out her summer, Schroeder competed at the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational in September and finished T3. She will end an impressive junior golf career with her fourth appearance at the 2022 Rolex Tournament of Champions before enrolling at Alabama this December.
About Rolex
An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization.
The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 500 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
About the American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 7,500 members from 50 states and nearly 70 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.
TaylorMade and adidas are the AJGA’s National Sponsors, supporting the AJGA for nearly 30 years. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. adidas has been the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA since 2017. Rolex, in its fourth decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the AJGA’s inaugural Premier Partner in 2004.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 1,000 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours.
2022 Rolex Junior All-Americans
Boys – First Team
Mahanth Chirravuri of Chandler, Arizona – 2nd honor
Ethan Gao of Alpharetta, Georgia – 3rd honor
Nicholas Gross of Downingtown, Pennsylvania – 2nd honor
Henry Guan of Dallas, Texas
Bryan Kim of Brookeville, Maryland – 2nd honor
Carson Kim of Yorba Linda, California
Jackson Koivun of Chapel Hill, North Carolina – 2nd honor
Byungho Lee of (South Korea) Plano, Texas
Eric Lee of Fullerton, California – 2nd honor, 2022 Rolex Junior Player of the Year
Jay Leng Jr. of San Diego, California
Andrew McLauchlan of Neptune Beach, Florida
Preston Stout of Richardson, Texas
Girls – First Team
Leigh Chien of Irvine, California – 3rd honor
Gianna Clemente of Estero, Florida – 3rd honor
Anna Davis of Spring Valley, California – 2nd honor
Jasmine Koo of Cerritos, California – 2nd honor
Jaclyn LaHa of Pleasanton, California – 3rd honor
Katie Li of Basking Ridge, New Jersey – 3rd honor
Rianne Malixi of (Philippines) San Bernardino, California
Macy Pate of Winston Salem, North Carolina
Kiara Romero of San Jose, California – 3rd honor
Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, Florida – 3rd honor, 2022 Rolex Junior Player of the Year
Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Florida – 3rd honor
Kelly Xu of Claremont, California – 4th honor
Boys – Second Team
Johnnie Clark of Mesa, Arizona
Ethan Fang of Plano, Texas
Gerardo Gomez of (Mexico) Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida
Max Herendeen of Bellevue, Washington
PJ Maybank of Cheboygan, Michigan
Adam Miller of Phoenix, Arizona
Matt Moloney of Daniel Island, South Carolina
Wyatt Plattner of Sarasota, Florida
Aaron Pounds of The Woodlands, Texas – 2nd honor
Jack Roberts of St. Mary’s, Georgia
Camden Smith of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Smith Summerlin of Raleigh, North Carolina
Girls – Second Team
Kiera Bartholomew of Wake Forest, North Carolina
Emerson Blair of West Point, Mississippi
Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto, Ontario, Canada – 2nd honor
Sara Im of Duluth, Georgia – 3rd honor
Frances Kim of Rolling Hills Estates, California – 2nd honor
Thanana Kotchasanmanee of (Thailand) Rome, Georgia
Elise Lee of Irvine, California
Megan Meng of Pennington, New Jersey
Catherine Rao of Camarillo, California – 3rd honor
Elizabeth Rudisill of Charlotte, North Carolina
Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alice Ziyi Zhao of (China) Irvine, California – 2nd honor
Boys – Honorable Mention
Boston Bracken of St. George, Utah
Jackson Byrd of St. Simons Island, Georgia
Jeremy Chen of Taipei City, Taiwan
Ryder Cowan of Edmond, Oklahoma – 2nd honor
Eduardo Derbez Torres of Monterrey, Mexico
Kale Fontenot of Lafayette, Louisiana
Sebastian Gamboa of Merida, Mexico
Grant Gudgel of Stillwater, Oklahoma
Luke Haskew of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Max Jelinek of (Czech Republic) Port St. Lucie, Florida
Jaeyoung (Jeffrey) Kwak of (South Korea) La Mirada, California
Michael La Sasso of Raleigh, North Carolina
Bryan Lee of Fairfax, Virginia – 2nd honor
William Love of Atlanta, Georgia
Boyd Owens of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Cayden Pope of Lexington, Kentucky
Nicholas Prieto of Miami, Florida – 2nd honor
Andrew Ramos of Blaine, Minnesota
Patton Samuels of Clarksville, Tennessee
Rylan Shim of Centreville, Virginia
Jacob Sosa of Austin, Texas – 2nd honor
Jon Ed Steed of Enterprise, Alabama
Keaton Vo of Austin, Texas – 4th honor
Asher Whitaker of Wichita, Kansas
Girls – Honorable Mention
Trinity Beth of Calvert City, Kentucky
Kylee Choi of Murrieta, California – 2nd honor
Olivia Duan of Cupertino, California
Alexandra Gazzoli of Palm Coast, Florida
Katie Ha of Los Angeles, California
Sydney Hackett of Ashburn, Virginia
Maye Huang of Katy, Texas
Thienna Huynh of Lilburn, Georgia – 2nd honor
Annika Ishiyama of Costa Mesa, California
Maelynn Kim of Katy, Texas
Brynn Kort of Henderson, Nevada
Bowen Lan of (China) Irvine, California
Joanne Lee of Henderson, Nevada
Yurang Li of Fullerton, California
Angela (Yilin) Liu of Irvine, California – 2nd honor
Avery McCrery of Wilmington, Delaware
Maggie Ni of Cypress, Texas
Jennifer Seo of Chandler, Arizona
Sarah Shao of Green Brook, New Jersey
Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California
Melanie Walker of Burke, Virginia
Siuue Wu of (Hong Kong) Reunion, Florida
Ashley Yun of West Covina, California – 3rd honor
Angela Zhang of Bellevue, Washington – 2nd honor
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