Dustin Johnson World Junior Preview: A Look at the Leading Names to Watch in 2024
With his stunning PGA TOUR win as an amateur just two weeks ago at The American Express, Nick Dunlap became the third past winner of the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship Presented by LA Golf. Who will be the next golfer to make TPC Myrtle Beach his or her showcase for future excellence at the highest levels?
2023 Girls Division Champ Ryleigh Knaub returns this year in her quest to join current LPGA Tour standout Alexa Pano as the event’s only two-time winner. She’ll be joined in the pursuit of glory by six golfers our Play Golf Myrtle Beach Events Division believes will be in strong contention when the event tees off March 1.
They’ve got the rundown on those six contenders right here, along with their current Golfweek, Junior Golf Scoreboard and World Amateur Golf Rankings position:
Blades Brown (Nashville, TN – Class of 2026)
Golfweek: 4 – Junior Golf Scoreboard: 1 – WAGR: 199
Blades Brown, the top-ranked junior boy on Junior Golf Scoreboard, had himself a spectacular 2023 season. Brown showed his worthiness of the lofty rankings by winning the AJGA Junior at Canebrake, the Huntsville.org Junior Championship, the Wyndham Invitational, the Tennessee Junior Amateur and the Elite Invitational. He’s expected to play well at The DJ come March given his track record of performing well in high-profile events.
Tyler Watts (Huntsville, AL – Class of 2026)
Golfweek: 3 – Junior Golf Scoreboard: 2 – WAGR: 106
Arguably the favorite, Tyler Watts is coming to Myrtle Beach with the best WAGR ranking (106) of all the male competitors. An impressive list of wins also follows Watts, as he recorded victories in 2023 at the Jones Cup Junior Invitational, the Keith Mitchell Junior Championship, the Southern Junior Championship and the Alabama State Amateur. He also had other strong finishes with a top-four finish at The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex and a top 20 finish at the US Junior Amateur. Watts will look to follow in the footsteps fellow Huntsville, AL native Dunlap, who won The DJ in 2021.
Will Hartman (Marvin, NC – Class of 2025)
Golfweek: 7 – Junior Golf Scoreboard: 9 – WAGR: 649
Will Hartman returns in 2024 in quest of his best finish yet. He has the makings to be another strong contender given his play throughout 2023. The highlight of his season was successfully defending his title at the Bobby Chapman Invitational, where he managed to go back-to-back and win the event in both 2022 and 2023. He also had strong top-three finishes at the US Junior Amateur and the Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by Rolex. Hartman also earned a spot on the US Junior Ryder Cup team, where he traveled to Italy and played alongside the best junior golfers the United States and Europe have to offer.
Gianna Clemente (Estero, FL – Class of 2026)
Golfweek: 2 – Junior Golf Scoreboard: 3 – WAGR: 23
Gianna Clemente is one of the more well-known names in amateur women’s golf, and we’re excited to see her return to TPC Myrtle Beach in 2024. Gianna recorded two wins in 2023 at The Sally and the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship. She also made two starts in professional events last year, one on the Futures Epson Tour at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, with another start on the LPGA Tour at the CPKC Women’s Open. Clemente also participated in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where she finished 14th. She also earned spots on the Junior Ryder Cup, Junior Solheim Cup and Wyndham Cup teams.
Chloe Kovelesky (Boca Raton, FL – Class of 2025)
Golfweek: 8 – Junior Golf Scoreboard: 6 – WAGR: 203
Many of the top Girls Division finishers at the 2023 DJ eturn in 2024, with Chloe Kovelesky looking to build off her T3 finish. Shortly after leaving TPC Myrtle Beach in March, Chloe went on to win the Florida Women’s Amateur Championship. She then closed out her 2023 season with four straight top-10 finishes at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, the North and South Women’s Amateur, the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship and the World Junior Girls Championship presented by Sargent Farms. Kovelesky also made one professional start on the Ladies European Tour at the Jabra Ladies Open.
Alice Ziyi Zhao (Irvine, CA – Class of 2027)
Golfweek: 11 – Junior Golf Scoreboard: 7 – WAGR: 191
Over the years at the Dustin Johnson World Junior, Alice Ziyi Zhao may have been one of the younger competitors in the field, but her name has always been near the top. Alice came as close as ever to winning the event in 2023, finishing in solo second place just two shots behind champion Ryleigh Knaub. But this tough loss did not faze her as she went on to have a successful 2023 season and finish it with a victory at the Notah Begay lll Junior Golf National Championship. Zhao earned a spot on the Wyndham Cup team, and also made one professional start on the LPGA Tour at the CPKC Women’s Open.
