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Pizza earns Medalist Honors at U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier, Shelley also advances

Will Pizza’s summer of standout golf continued Monday at Glenmoor Golf Course.

Fresh off earning medalist honors earlier this month at the Junior PGA Championship at Glen Eagle Golf Course, Pizza once again found himself on top of the leaderboard. Even is it was by one stroke. The Corner Canyon high senior fired a bogey free 6-under par 66 to claim medalist honors at the U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier and secure a spot in his first United States Golf Association championship.

The performance earned Pizza one of three available exemptions into the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, scheduled for July 20-25 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Pizza’s round featured an eagle and a birdie on the front nine before he added three more birdies coming home. He finished one shot ahead of Austin Shelley, who also qualified at 5-under 67. Ian Miyazaki claimed the third and final qualifying position at 4-under 68.

Medalist. Will Pizza, credited a steady approach throughout the round.

“I hit 17 greens today,” Pizza said. “I just kept giving myself putts instead of chasing pins.”

After making the turn at 3-under, Pizza birdied holes 11 and 12 to move to 5 under and felt his chances of qualifying were strong.

One of the highlights of the day came on the par 5 5th hole where Pizza converted an eagle opportunity from 15-feet after knocking an 8-iron close from 177-yards.

Even after posting his score, there was still some waiting involved.

Runner-up/Qualifier, Austin Shelley.

Pizza finished ahead of Shelley and watched the leaderboard as players behind him completed their rounds. Shelley closed with a strong finish making birdies on holes 15 and 18 but came up one shot short of catching the medalist.

The win marks Pizza’s first appearance in a USGA national championship.

“I’m excited,” he said. “The first goal is to make match play, and then after that see what I can do.”

Following a six player playoff for the one remaining qualifier spot, alternate spots were awarded to Noah Goeckeritz and Ben Wright. Click here for the final leaderboard.

The U.S. Junior Amateur has long served as a proving ground for future stars of the game. Past champions include some of golf’s biggest names, among them Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler.

Peng, Park Advance from U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifier at Glenmoor

The U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifier also was contested Monday at Glenmoor Golf Course with two out-of-state players earning the available championship exemptions.

Washington’s Amanda Peng  finished T1 collecting co-medalist honors and qualifying for one of two spots.

Amanda Peng and Katie Park tied for medalist honors at 2-under par 70 to claim the two qualifying positions into the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship, which will be played July 13-18 at Durham, North Carolina’s Old Chatham Golf Club.

Alternate positions also went to out-of-state competitors. Sydnie Ng finished at 1-under par 71 while Victoria Su earned the second alternate position at even par 72.

The low Utah player was Kai Post, who posted a 3-over par 75. Earlier this month, Post finished runner up in the Girls 15-18 division at the 43rd Utah State Junior Amateur Championship at Park Meadows Country Club.

Peng arrived at Glenmoor following a strong stretch of golf in her home state. The Bellevue, Washington player recently finished third at the Washington Women’s Amateur and was runner up at the Washington State Junior Amateur.

California’s Amanda Peng

Park, who plays out of California, celebrated her qualification after the round with an Instagram post saying, “So happy to qualify for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur with a T1 score of 70. Excited for the championship ahead.”

The 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur champion is Aphrodite Deng of Canada, who also earned 2025 AJGA Player of the Year honors.

Click here for the final leaderboard.

Story and photos by Fairways Media/Randy Dodson and Garrit Johnson