Tournament Links: Final Results

Hamden, Conn. – The 23rd Northern Junior Championship presented by the Golf Performance Academy concluded on Wednesday at historic New Haven Country Club in Hamden, Connecticut with record scoring in both the Boys and Girls Championship. In the Boys Championship, Isaac Ahn of Rochester, Minnesota won the Boys Championship with tournament-record scores of 64-62—126 (-14) and Yasmina Oralkhan of Brooklyn, New York shot rounds of 67-75—142 (-2) to capture the Girls Championship.

Boys Championship

Ahn began the day with a two-stroke advantage after an opening round of six under-par 64, but with fourteen players within six strokes of the lead, knew he needed to get off to a good start on his final round. He responded to that challenge with a blistering front-nine score of 29 (-5) and capped it off with three more birdies on the final nine holes for an incredible round of 62. His championship total of fourteen under-par 126 is the lowest record score in tournament history, eclipsing last year’s record of ten under-par at Hartford Golf Club.
“When you get hot on the golf course, you just try to embrace it and get the most out of it that you can”, said Ahn. “I heard that my round was record-setting in Northern Junior history, and to have that record is such an honor.”

With the victory, Ahn capped off a stellar summer of play in which he won the 2025 Minnesota Junior PGA Championship with a pair of 64’s to win by ten shots. He will be starting his collegiate golf career this fall at Harvard University, and the Northern Junior marks his final junior golf tournament.

“When I have the lead going into the last round, internally I try to feel like I am running away with it and try to not let it get anywhere close. I feel like I’ve learned this year how to win by larger margins and to keep the pressure on the course.”

Finishing in a tie for second place was Ethan Evans (Fairfax Station, Virginia), Rayhao Feng (Short Hills, New Jersey) and Enze Miao (Shanghai, China) all of whom posted two-round totals of four-under par. Rounding out the top 5 was Joseph LaNasa of Palm Beach, Florida at three under-par.

Girls Championship

Oralkhan began the day with a sizable lead of five strokes over a Angela Liang (Bridgewater, New Jersey) and Lillian Guleserian (Westwood, Massachusetts). After opening her front nine at one-under par, she cemented her position on top of the leaderboard. Despite some bogies coming down the stretch, her final round of three over-par 75 proved to be enough to clinch the title by three strokes over a trio of players.

The Northern Junior marks her fifth victory of the 2025 season, having won the New York City Championship, three Future Series Events and a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour event at Seaview .A 2027 high school graduate, she will have the opportunity to become the first repeat champion in Girls Championship history.

“To win really means a lot, it’s my first non-state championship victory and winning “in the red” and staying under par was really important to me”, said Oralkhan. “The field at this event is so competitive and it is really amazing for me to win.”

Finishing in second place was Liang, Guleserian and Aliya Liberatore (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida), all of whom recorded two-round totals of one over-par. Addison Claire Lee (Cupertino, California) and Kaitlyn Doe (Waban, Massachusetts) finished in a tie for fifth place at three over-par.

 

About the Northern Junior Championship

As has become customary, the Northern Junior kicked off on Monday with player practice rounds and the annual Players Dinner along with the Long Drive Contest. Michael Asselta (Ramsey, New Jersey) won the Boys Division with a 357-yard drive, while Lillian Guleserian bested the competition in the Girls Division with an impressive 299 yard tee shot.

Players and families also witnessed the presentation of the Ryan Lee Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded each year to one competitor in memory of two-time Northern Junior Champion Ryan Lee. Ryan’s passion and love for the game of golf left a lasting impression on everyone he met, and it is a true honor for the Northern Junior Championship to help carry on his legacy. This year’s recipient was Preston Howe of Winston Salem, North Carolina.

New Haven Country Club has played host to numerous championships in its history, including eight Connecticut Opens and sixteen Connecticut Amateur Championships. 2025 marked the 8th time that the Northern Junior has been contested at this remarkable venue. which was originally founded in 1898. This year’s Northern Junior Championship featured a total of 84 players from 27 different states, provinces, and countries.

Presenting Sponsor: The Northern Junior is proud to be presented by the Golf Performance Academy, a full-time golf boarding school in Ridgefield, Connecticut, for student-athletes grades 7-12 and postgraduates who aspire to play collegiate and professional golf. Daily golf coaching with an expert coaching staff whose mission is to foster high moral character in student-athletes through a deep commitment to the game of golf and a keen academic focus. For student-athletes on the path to play golf in college, there’s no better environment to prepare them for their journey. Click here for more information.

The 2026 Northern Junior will be contested on August 3-5, 2026 at Wethersfield Country Club in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Like New Haven Country Club, Wethersfield Country Club has a long legacy of hosting prestigious championships, including the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship from 1952 to 1983.

A special thanks to the countless volunteers who helped to make this year’s championship so special, and thank you New Haven Country Club, Junior Golf Hub, the Ryan T. Lee Foundation, the Connecticut State Golf Association, Connecticut PGA Foundation and Rhode Island Golf Association for their continued support of the Northern Junior.

Congratulations to Isaac Ahn and Yasmina Oralkhan, the 2025 Northern Junior Champions.