Youth Movement: Six Juniors In Top-10 Through Day 2 Of Arizona Women’s Am

Terravita Golf & Country Club — The second round of the Arizona Women's Amateur Championship at Terravita Country Club belonged to Arizona's next generation of stars.

Heading into Saturday's final round, six of the tournament's top-10 players are active members of the Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA), showcasing the impressive depth of junior golf talent across the state.

Despite the youth movement, Grand Canyon University rising sophomore Alexis Vakasiuola found herself atop the leaderboard at 3-under par after carding a steady 1-under round on Friday.

RESULTS | PHOTOS

Just one stroke behind is JGAA standout Julia Herzberg, who fired the round of the day with a brilliant 4-under 68 to move into a tie for second at 2-under. Herzberg caught fire on the back nine, making five birdies over her final nine holes while relying on a hot putter to climb the leaderboard.

"It's like the saying — if you keep hitting the edges, they'll drop," Herzberg said.

Following Thursday's opening round, Herzberg adjusted her strategy by playing more conservatively off the tee, a change that paid immediate dividends.

"There were a lot of holes (yesterday) where I tried to go for it and didn't get the best bounces, so I knew I needed to draw back on some of the par-5's and I learned the best areas to hit the ball on par-4's," Herzberg said.

Ashley Malko also made a significant move on Friday, posting a 3-under round to jump from a tie for seventh into fourth place heading into the final round.

After feeling more comfortable with her putter throughout the day, Malko believes she has discovered the key to navigating Terravita's demanding layout in her first Arizona Women’s Amateur.

"I've played this course two years ago and I thought the course was so hard, but I've realized it’s just where you put yourself on the tee, and then you just have an iron in,” she explained. “So I really figured it out off the tee the past two days, which is what made my rounds good."

First-round leader Maddison Moltich, 15, sits tied for sixth at 2-over after Friday's round. Like Herzberg, Moltich plans to take a more patient approach during Saturday's final round.

"This course is challenging when you get out of position," Moltich said. "I think just good iron shots and hitting my line on my putts and having really great speed is what I'm going to try to do tomorrow. I think I was a little bit more aggressive today, and I should have been a little more conservative on my approach shots, and I think that's what I'm going to do tomorrow."

Joining Moltich in a tie for sixth is 14-year-old Beau Ellington, who carded a 1-under round highlighted by three front-nine birdies.

"Today I was able to hit closer shots to the pin and make a few putts," Ellington said. "Back nine I started getting a little shaky and fizzling with the birdies, but was able to stay strong towards the end of the round and stay steady. Tomorrow I'd like to go out, play strong, play my game, hit fairways, greens, and make a few putts. Hopefully they drop."

Lauren Richardson and Gianna Singh round out the JGAA representatives inside the top 10, sitting in eighth and 10th place, respectively.

For Singh, seeing so many fellow junior golfers in contention reflects the bright future of Arizona golf. She will be attending Grand Canyon University this fall, starting her collegiate golf career. 

"The younger generation is getting better and better, which is great," said the 17-year-old Singh. "It keeps the competition level high."

With Vakasiuola leading by just one stroke and a talented group of junior golfers chasing closely behind, Saturday's final round is set up for an exciting finish as players compete for the 52nd Arizona Women's Amateur Championship title.

Notable

• There are two pairs of siblings in the field, Alexis and Alyzzah Vakasiuola and Kirsty and Amy Hodgkins. 
• 8 players were under par today, an improvement to the 4 under par Thursday. 
  
• Though there are no former champions in this year's field, TCU's Gracie McGovern returns as the runner-up from the 51st Arizona Women's Amateur. Alyzzah Vakasiuola was in the final pairing last year.
  
• The hardest hole on the course was number 10, with a scoring average of 4.72. 
• The par-4 8th was the easiest hole on the course, with a scoring average of 4.11. 
• Carolyn Cook is the only player in the field who is a member at Terravita.
  
• 5 players in the field are 14 years old, with Beau Ellington as the youngest. Carolyn Cook is the oldest in the field, at 67. 
  

Quotable

• "I think it's great because she is my older sister and she doesn't get to play as much, but I’m glad we get to play in a tournament together and show up at the course together, and there's always someone out there that you know just wants the best for you. It's really great, and I’m supporting her too, I want her to do good too." - Alexis Vakasiuola, on competing in the Championship Division with her older sister, Alyzzah.
• "I wanted to come and see how I would do in the heat - I'm not used to this so it's a good challenge. We have traveled quite the distance, and winning would open opportunities for my future." - Faith Vui, on her travels from Samoa to Arizona for the 52nd Arizona Women's Amateur Championship.

• "Today I hit more of my shots on the green, and closer, and I felt confident with the putter more than yesterday and i just had more putts dropping today. So that was key to making my round low."  - Ashley Malko, after carding a 69 to push her to 4th place.

• "The practice round was my first time playing here. The course is in great shape, the greens are really nice." - Maddison Moltich on the course conditions at Terravita Golf & Country Club this week.

About Terravita Golf & Country Club
One of Scottsdale’s most prominent private golf clubs, Terravita features a newly renovated 18-hole championship course framed by the Sonoran Desert and Black Mountain. Originally designed by Billy Casper, renowned architect Phil Smith oversaw the renovation that included upgrades such as USGA-spec greens, re-contoured fairways, modern tee boxes, and a state-of-the-art irrigation system for year-round playability. The Director of Agronomy, Ed Shimkus, brings over 30 years of expertise and exacting standards that keep the course in exceptional condition every day.

About AZ GOLF
Founded in 1923, AZ GOLF is a nonprofit dedicated to serving and advancing the game of golf in Arizona. We engage our community through championships and tournaments, player development, education, and outreach while providing official USGA Handicap Indexes to golfers statewide. With more than 550 member clubs and golfers of all ages and abilities, we are committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive golf community and ensuring the game’s long-term growth and sustainability.