16-year-old Clairey Lin of Canada wins the US Girls’ Junior

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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Clairey Lin of Canada won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship on Saturday, beating Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Florida, 5 and 4 in the 36-hole final at Old Chatham Golf Club.

The 16-year-old Lin, the stroke-play medalist, is the second straight Canadian winner. Aphrodite Deng won last year in Georgia.

“I’ve always wanted to be on the big stage and inspire some people and work hard and see it pay off," Lin said. "To be able to do that today is amazing.”

The 17-year-old Zalsman is set to play for Wake Forest in 2027.

“I’ve played so much golf the past two weeks,” Zalsman said. “I’m just really proud of myself for making it this far and my body, honestly, just sticking with me.”

Deng skipped her title defense to play in the Evian Championship last week in France.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf