AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colorado. — Chiara Romero won the US Junior Championships Saturday, edging Ryan Malecki 1-up with a putt of 7 on the 36th and final hole at the US Air Force Academy Eisenhower Golf Club.
“My heart was beating fast,” Romero said. “I didn’t really think about how to decide the match and stuff, I just tried to focus on putting a good shot on it.”
The 17-year-old Romero, of San Jose, Calif., par-31—the 13th hole of 121 yards on the blue course—and halved the last five holes.
“I’m so excited and so tired,” said Romero, an upcoming freshman at Oregon State. “I mean, it’s been a long day and I’m really glad I made it through. But I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”
Romero put her name on the Glenna Colette Fair Trophy and earned spots at the 2024 US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania and the 2024 Augusta National Amateur. Both finalists will be exempt from next month’s All-American Women’s Amateur at the Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
The 16-year-old Malixi was trying to become the second Filipino player to win the tournament, after Princes Mari Sobral in 2014.
“It was a complete grinding process,” Malixi said. “I didn’t really have my ‘A’ game today.”
Malixi led by 2 through seven, with Romero winning with numbers 9 and 10 to tie. Malixi took Nos. 12 and 16 to take a lead of 2, and Romero rallied to tie with equal wins at Nos. 18 and 22. Romero took the 26th by 4 points for her first lead, and Malexi tied it with 4 on the 28th.
“With golf, you never know what’s going to happen,” Romero said. “So, you just have to stay calm and focus hard.”