Myrtle Beach, SC (Feb. 28, 2025) — The wind was up at TPC Myrtle Beach as the top amateur girls and boys battled it out on the first day of the 10^th annual Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship on Friday. Kayla Bryant and Elizabeth Rudisill were the only two girls to finish under par and share the lead at 2-under 70 while Benjamin Baker and Hampton Beebe are tied at 3-under on the boys side.

Bryant (Boca Raton, FL) had six birdies on the day, including birdies on the difficult 8^th and 9^thholes, to offset her four bogies. Her birdie on 17 tied her for the lead.

“I’m from South Florida so I’m pretty used to the wind,” said Bryant. “I played this course last year and really like the greens. I didn’t even know I finished with back-to-back birdies on the front nine. I just started getting the ball closer to the hole and made some of those important putts.”

Rudisill (Charlotte, NC) had a steadier day with four birdies and two bogies in the gusting winds.

“Off the tee, I only missed one fairway and avoided the rough. The pins were not easy, but my putting was solid,” said Rudisill. “On the back nine, the winds are more prominent. It will be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow. Considering we are playing the back nine first, maybe we will get a good break.”

Amelie Zalsman (St. Petersburg, FL) sits two strokes back at even par. All three of the leaders played in the 2024 Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship.

Baker (Broadlands, VA) had a two-shot lead with two holes to play but bogies dropped him into a tie with Beebe. Baker’s seven birdies were the most by any player on Friday.

“The wind started to pick up on the back nine and made scoring more difficult,” said Baker. “Other than that, I just made some silly errors down the stretch, which I need to fix for tomorrow.”

Beebe closed strong with a 3-under 33 on his final nine holes to propel him into a tie.

“My birdie on 18 was big. I did not hit my drive great, but I chipped it up to a couple of feet and tapped it in,” said Beebe. “The wind was not as strong this morning which definitely helped a lot. I hit the green in two on that second hole, the par 5, and then just focused on hitting one shot at a time.”

Phillip Dunham (Ponte Vedra, FL), Hamilton Coleman (August, GA) and Drake Harvey (Las Vegas, NV) are tied for third at 2-under.

The Dustin Johnson World Golf Championship is again hosting one of the strongest fields in junior golf with a combined total of 90 boys and girls competing in the 54-hole championship event. The tournament includes 60 boys and 30 girls. The top 36 boys and 18 girls and ties will advance to the final round on Sunday.

Thanks to the support of its namesake, two-time major winner and star professional golfer Dustin Johnson, the championship is renowned for giving participants a pro-like experience. Johnson’s involvement in the tournament reflects his longtime commitment to junior golf, particularly in his native South Carolina. Through the Dustin Johnson Foundation, which is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, Johnson has donated more than $500,000 to junior golf.

In addition to LA Golf’s lead sponsorship, the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship is supported by the Dustin Johnson Golf School, Founders Group International, TPC Myrtle Beach and Golf Tourism Solutions. More information can be found atwww.worldjuniorgolfchampionship.com.