Who is Gianna Clemente? All you need to know about the 15-year-old knocking out past champ at the US Women's Amateur Round of 64

On Wednesday, August 9, Gianna Clemente prevailed in the next round of the 2023 US Women's Amateur after beating 2021 champion Jensen Castle 4-and-3 in the Round of 64 Matchplay at Bel-Air Country Club

The first six holes were tight, with Clemente and Castle winning the holes alternately. Clemente, coming off a win at the Junior PGA Championship last week, earned the third seed. Castle was in the playoffs Wednesday morning and advanced, getting the 62nd seed.

They alternated winning holes in the first six, with Castle winning the opening par 5 and then swapping wins in the next five. Things changed on the back nine, where Castle won the 10th hole. However, Clemente won four back-to-back from 11 to 14 before halving it on the 15th, which sealed the match in the 15-year-old's favor.

Clemente was born on Match 28, 2008, in the golfer family in Warren, Ohio. Her father and uncle have played collegiate golf. She also started playing golf at the age of two. She began playing professionally at the age of five. She considers Gerina Piller, Ryan O’Toole, and Lexi Thompson her role models.

In 2015, Giannaw won her division at the US Kids Golf World Championship at the age of seven, and she did it again in 2018. She was 11 years old when she became the youngest to feature in the US Women’s Amateur in 2019. In 2021, Clemente triumphed at the four WAGR events and also became the youngest to win the AJGA’s Ping Invitational.

The following year, Gianna became the youngest player to make it to three straight LPGA Tour events via Monday qualifiers. She also finished runner-up in the 2022 USGA Junior Girls' Championship and the 2022 Rolex Girls Junior Championship.

Earlier this year, Gianna made her debut at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, where she finished 14th, becoming the youngest player to make the cut at the event.

She was quoted as saying via The Vindicator, a local newspaper in Warren, Ohio:

“Walking up 18 with my Dad, that was really special. Just to be able to — we’ve talked about it for so long and we’ve seen it on TV so many times that it’s really special to walk up that fairway with my Dad. That’s definitely going to be a lasting memory.”

Last week, the 15-year-old prodigy won the 47th Junior PGA Championship at Hot Springs Country Club in Hot Springs, Arkansas, after aggregating at 9-under 275. She beat Yana Wilson, Kylie Chong, and Kinsley Ni by three strokes to win the biggest title of her career.

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How has Gianna Clemente performed in the AJGA in the 2022–23 season?

Here are Gianna Clemente's results at the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) events this season:

• Girl's Junior PGA Championship 2023: 1
• 74th US Girls' Junior 2023: T3
• Mizuho Americas Open 2023: 6
• 2023 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley 2023: T8
• Hilton Grand Vacations Anna Invitational presented by Rolex 2023: T22
• Rolex Tournament of Champions 2022: T7
• The PING Invitational 2022: 1