Miles Russell (left) and Aphrodite Deng (Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Photo)

The top-ranked junior erased a four-shot deficit heading into the final round of the 2025 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in Graniteville, S.C., to win for the third time this season.

Russell finished 9-under with rounds of 69-70-70-70 to secure the two-shot win over Jackson Byrd, who finished in solo second place at 7-under. He is currently ranked No. 96 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings. 

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Joshua Bai, the 54-hole leader, shot a final round 5-over 77 to finish in solo third place at 6-under. Bai made double bogeys on holes No. 16 and 18 to fall down the leaderboard. Byrd also took the lead for a moment, but he played holes No. 14 through 17 at 6-over to fall back down to 7-under. He was 4-under through 13 holes of his final round before that stretch.

Robby Turnbull finished in solo fourth place at 5-under, and Carson Bertagnole finished in solo fifth place at 3-under to round out the top five. 

In the girl's division, Aphrodite Deng of Canada finished 7-under with rounds of 70-72-66-73 to secure an impressive six-shot win.

The 14-year-old sensation carded the low round of the tournament in the third round to take a four-shot lead into the final round. She carded a 6-under 66 with seven birdies and one bogey. She birdied holes No. 14, 15, and 18 to finish strong. She has carded rounds of 70-72-66 to get to 8-under.

Yujie Liu finished in solo second place at 1-under, and Soomin Oh and Pimpisa Rubrong finished T3 at even-par. 

Sage Valley Golf Club is a private national membership golf club located just outside Augusta, Georgia. The course and clubhouse are surrounded by several thousand acres of preserved southern pine forest providing a setting of serenity and tranquility found in visions of life in the south.

The course plays 7,437 yards from its championship tees and challenges every club in a golfer’s bag, from precise carries with long irons to deft touch around the green with one’s wedges and putter.

Past participants of the Junior Invitational have included some of the top names in golf: Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Colin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Anna Davis, Megha Ganne, and more.

Scheffler, the 2014 Junior Invitational champion, followed up an appearance at the 2022 Junior Invitational by capturing his first major at The Masters.