Kiara Romero shook.
She was aligning a putt at the 18th green of Eisenhower Golf Club, Colorado Springs. If she made it, she’d win the U.S. Junior Girls’ Championship. Rianne Malixi could force extra holes if she misses.
Romero did not give Malixi a chance.
She made the putt and won the match by one stroke, earning the 74th U.S. Junior Girls’ title. She shot even-par, making only one birdie during the afternoon session, and only one bogey. The 17-year old incoming freshman to Oregon won the championship by beating Malixi (16).
Romero’s victory also earns her exemptions to the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2023 and 2020, as well as the U.S. Women’s Open, 2024, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, 2024.
The Glenna Collett-Vare Trophy is presented to Rianne Mikhaela and Kiara Malixi before the final match at the 2023 U.S. Junior Girls’ Championship, which will be held on the United States Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club Blue Course in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday, July 22nd, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Romero, who finished third in stroke-play, defeated 2022 runner up Gianna Clemente to reach the semifinals. Clemente beat Romero last year in the Round 16
Malixi from the Philippines won the first and held her lead until she made a mistake on the 22nd hole. She had been excellent on par 3s throughout the week. However, a bogey at the par-3 13th hole, the 31st, gave Romero an advantage of 1 with 5 holes to play. The duo then halved all the remaining holes.
This was the first time in USGA’s history that a championship had been held on a military installation.
