UPDATE (July 23, 2026) — Michael Asselta‘s run in the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship came to an end Thursday afternoon in the Round of 16 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.
Related: U.S. Junior Amateur Home | Scoring
Asselta earned a morning victory in the Round of 32, defeating Tripp Depoy of The Woodlands, Texas by a 3-and-2 margin. While Depoy was 2-up through five holes, Asselta went on a run and won Nos. 8-12 to capture a 3-up advantage. Asselta had two birdies in the stretch and won three holes with pars. Though Depoy took the par-3 14th with birdie, Asselta responded immediately with a birdie of his own before a tie on the par-4 16th closed out the match in favor of the Ramsey, N.J., native.
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In the afternoon Asselta faced his third Texan in a row, with Kuan Zhou of Houston winning the first hole in what was a back-and-forth match. Only four holes were tied, with Zhou taking the 3-and-1 victory. Unfortunately for Asselta, each of his five hole victories were followed by immediate wins from Zhou, which never allowed Asselta to grab a lead. Wins for Zhou on Nos. 14, 16 and 17 closed out the match.
Quarterfinal highlights and Semifinal matches will be streamed on Golfchannel.com from 4-6 p.m., Friday, July 24, with a tape delay on Golf Channel from 8-10 p.m., the same day. The afternoon 18 of the championship match will be broadcast on Golf Channel from 3-5 p.m., on Saturday, July 25.
UPDATE (July 22, 2026) — After earning the No. 8 seed in the 64-player bracket of the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, Michael Asselta of Ramsey, N.J., won his opening round match by a 4-and-2 margin to advance at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.
Related: U.S. Junior Amateur Home | Scoring
On Monday and Tuesday, Asselta carded rounds of 69-70 on the Old Course and Grace Course, respectively, at Saucon Valley to finish tied for seventh over the two days of on-site stroke play qualifying.
He opened match play against Cole Pregler of Fulshear, Texas. Despite dropping the opening hole, Asselta responded quickly with a birdie three on the second. After four consecutive ties, Asselta’s steadiness earned him wins on Nos. 7, 10, and 12, with two of those victories coming with pars. Though Presley won the par-3 14th, Asselta once again responded well and claimed the next two holes with birdie to close out the match, 4 and 2.
Asselta will square off with another Texan, Tripp Depoy (The Woodlands), in the Round of 32, with their match beginning at 7:20 a.m., Thursday. Match play is taking place on the Old Course for the championship.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 20, 2026) – The 78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship began with stroke play qualifying, Monday, at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. Several Met Area players are in the field for the championship that’s slated through July 25. The Old Course and Grace Course will host the stroke play qualifying, while a champion will be decided through match play on the Old Course.
Related: U.S. Junior Amateur Home | Scoring
Michael Asselta of Ramsey, N.J., was exempt for the championship following his win in New Jersey Golf’s Junior Championship. Samuel Gao of Scarsdale, N.Y., was also exempt after claiming the New York State Boys’ 18U Junior Championship.
Eli Weidmann, the 18-year-old California native and rising St. John’s University sophomore, took the top spot in MGA-conducted qualifying at Sunningdale back in May. Shortly after, Weidmann captured the Long Island Open title at The Seawane Club. Samson Landers of Little Silver, N.J., also qualified at Sunningdale, while Michael Clifford-Levy of New York, N.Y., gained entry as an alternate from the site.
MGA Junior Council member Ethan Yao of Manhasset, N.Y., qualified from Totteridge Golf Course in Greensburg, Pa., sharing medalist honors with two others on June 4. Yao’s strong June continued the next week as he finished tied for eighth in U.S. Open final qualifying and solo eighth in the Long Island Open.
Roger Rice of Chatham, N.J., and Daniel Kim of Franklin Lakes, N.J., both qualified from Saucon Valley on June 11, carding rounds of 69 and 71, respectively, on the Weyhill Course.
Competitors in the championship hold a Handicap Index below 2.4 and have not reached their 19th birthday by July 25.
Quarterfinal highlights and Semifinal matches will be streamed on Golfchannel.com from 4-6 p.m., Friday, July 24, with a tape delay on Golf Channel from 8-10 p.m., the same day. The afternoon 18 of the championship match will be broadcast on Golf Channel from 3-5 p.m., on Saturday, July 25.