AJGA Rolex TOC: Aphrodite Deng and Kihei Akina lead heading into the Final Round

November 21, 2023 | by American Junior Golf Association

Kihei Akina (AJGA Photo)

With 18 holes remaining, Akina leads the Boy's Division by two shots, and Deng leads the Girl's Division by three shots.

Kihei Akina and Aphrodite Deng lead the 46th edition of the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Deng is currently at 8-under after three rounds, while Akina is at 4-under.

This year's Rolex Tournament of Champions features 80 players competing for the coveted year-end title over four days. The field includes 45 players committed to play college golf, 67 past AJGA champions, and 65 Rolex Junior All-Americans.

Akina posted a 1-under-par 71 third-round to hold onto to the lead. He leads by two strokes despite finishing his round bogey and double-bogey on his final two holes. With a victory tomorrow, Akina would become the first AJGA player (boy or girl) from Hawaii to win the Rolex Tournament of Champions.

The Hawaii native earned Rolex Junior All-American honors for the first time this year and is making his first Rolex Tournament of Champions start.

Gerardo Gomez is in solo second at 2-under for the tournament. His 1-under 71 third-round moved him up three spots on the leaderboard. The University of Arkansas signee is hoping to better his 2022 Rolex Tournament of Champions finish of solo fourth this year.

Phillip Dunham holds the solo third spot on the Boys Division leaderboard with a tournament score of even-par 216. His 1-over-par 73 third-round moved him up two spots on the leaderboard on a day in which windy conditions kept scores above par. Dunham is a 2026 graduate and is playing in his Rolex Tournament of Champions this week.

Deng, one of two 2028 graduates in the field this week, shot the low third-round in the Girls Division at 6-under-par 66. The Canadian native battled tough, windy conditions, putting up a bogey-free front nine to start her day. As she made the turn, a lone bogey on No. 12 set her back, but she bounced back with a quick birdie on No. 13.

Deng's 6-under-par 66 is tied for fourth all-time on the lowest 18-hole score for girls at the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Through three rounds, she is 10-under-par on the front-nine and 2-over-par on the back-nine.

This is Deng's first appearance in the Rolex Tournament of Champions. In Deng's first-round, she recorded birdies on hole Nos. 1 through 5, which tied the Girls' all-time Rolex Tournament of Champions record for most birdies in a row. Deng won her first AJGA this year at the Moon Golf Junior All-Star. She is looking for her first invitational win this week.

Alice Ziyi Zhao holds the solo second position at 3-under-par 213. Zhao's 2-under-par 70-second round moved her up one spot on the leaderboard. Zhao is looking for her first win this year and the third AJGA win of her career. She starts the final round five strokes behind the leader, Deng.

Second-round leader Jasmine Koo fell to the solo third position at 1-under-par.

Scarlett Schremmer is in solo fourth at even-par, and Lisa Herman rounds out the top-5 in solo fifth at 1-over.

About the AJGA Tournament of Champions

AJGA Rolex TOC: Aphrodite Deng and Kihei Akina lead heading into the Final Round

The Rolex Tournament of Champions features 84 of the best junior golfers in the world. The tournament assembles the Rolex Junior All-Americans with the past year’s champions to create The Greatest Week in Junior Golf. Format is 72 holes of stroke pla...

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