Team captain Vanessa Borovilos, a Texas A&M commit, also went the future teammate route, selecting Alex Long (signed). Rounding out team Borovilos is defending tournament champion Ryleigh Knaub, Alejandro Rivas, and Darren Zhou.

Blades Brown of Nashville, Tenn., is also in the field. Brown, like Watts, is a sophomore in high school coming off a spectacular 2023 that included wins at the AJGA Junior at Canebrake, the Huntsville.org Junior Championship, the Wyndham Invitational, the Tennessee Junior Amateur, and the Elite Invitational.

Related:
The Elite Invitational: Blades Brown and Bridget Wilkie win the titles
Blades Brown wins AJGA Junior Invitational

The girl's field is highlighted by the return of the top three finishers from 2023, led by reigning champion Ryleigh Knaub of DeBary, Fla. Knaub earned a two-stroke victory last year. Alice Ziyi Zhao of Irvine, Calif., a freshman who was the runner-up, and Chloe Kovelesky of Boca Raton, Fla., a junior who finished tied for third, are back in search of the crown. 

This year’s tournament will again feature a co-ed team event designed to mirror the competition players will enjoy at the collegiate level. 

While just eight years old, three past champions at the DJ World Junior have already won at the game’s highest levels. In the last 12 months, Akshay Bhatia and Nick Dunlap have won on the PGA Tour, while Alexa Pano triumphed on the LPGA Tour. 

“The Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship is one of the best junior events in America, and this is our strongest field to date,” tournament director Scott Tomasello said. “TPC Myrtle Beach is an ideal host course, and the tournament allows spectators to see golf’s next generation of stars up close.”

Chris King contributed to this report