Clear skies and low scores set the stage for an electric Moving Day at the 2025 Annual Girls Junior America’s Cup at Kierland Golf Club. Team Arizona capitalized on the ideal conditions, vaulting up two spots on the leaderboard with an impressive 14-under-par team score in round two. Despite the surge, it’s Team Southern California that continues to pull away from the pack, posting an 11-under-par team score for the day and holding on to their seven-stroke lead.
Southern California’s Rina Kawasaki continued her standout performance, climbing into a tie for first place individually at 11-under-par alongside Madison Perez of Southern Nevada. Southern California’s charge was also powered by Hailey Kim, who fired a second-round 69 to sit at 10-under (65-69–134), and Isabella Wu, who added a 3-under-par 69 for a two-day total of 139 (-5).
Defending champs Team Arizona aren’t going away quietly. Their 14-under-par 202 on the day marked the lowest team score of the tournament so far, keeping their back-to-back title hopes alive heading into the final round. Julia Herzberg led the charge with a 6-under-par 66, tying for the lowest individual score of the day and pulling within one stroke of the leaders.
“Today was about trying to be more aggressive, trying to climb the leaderboard—and yeah, putts dropped today too. Everything clicked, so it was good,” said Herzberg after her round.
Kaitlyn Helm made quite a statement of her own, carding a breakout 66 to jump seven spots and land in solo sixth at 7-under-par.
“My irons were dialed in all day and then the putts just rolled in, they just dropped,” said Helm.
Aubrey Hilgers stayed steady, shooting a 2-under-par 70 to move into the Top 15 with an even-par total (74-70–144). Kaitlyn Moreland rounded out the squad at 3-over-par, sitting T30 ahead of tomorrow’s final round.
With one round to play and the leaderboard heating up, Arizona has momentum on its side—but Southern California won’t give up the top spot easily. Thursday’s Final Round will be a 7:00am shotgun start.
This year marks a major milestone for the event—it’s the first time the Girls Junior America’s Cup has ever been held in Scottsdale, and the first time it’s returned to Arizona since 2006, when Oro Valley Country Club hosted in Tucson. Fittingly, Arizona made history just last year by capturing its first-ever team title.
Modeled after the collegiate golf format, the Girls Junior America’s Cup features 18 teams of four girls, each representing a U.S. state, Canadian province, or Mexican region. Over the course of three rounds (54 holes), each team counts its best three scores per day, with the lowest cumulative total determining the champions.
But the GJAC is more than just a premier golf competition. Rooted in tradition, sportsmanship, and camaraderie, the event includes opening ceremonies, banquets, team socials, and gift exchanges—all celebrating the tournament’s founding values of excellence, friendship, and personal growth.
With alumni like Lorena Ochoa, Lizette Salas, Pat Hurst, Amy Fruhwirth, and Brandie Burton, the Girls Junior America’s Cup continues to be a powerful launching pad for the next generation of stars in women’s golf.
