17 year old Yana Wilson, winner of the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open junior title, will return to Liberty National this week with hopes of securing a repeat win. Wilson is not the only defending champion on hand as Rose Zhang will be present, who was the first player since 1951 to win on the LPGA Tour in her professional debut.
Since the Mizuho’s format is unique in that the LPGA and junior players have many opportunities to mingle with one another (dining together, sharing a locker room, range, and tee times as the junior event runs concurrently), Wilson has had many opportunities to ask pros about their decision to or not to attend college to play collegiate golf.
The Henderson, Nevada native has found that for her, college can take a back seat to professional golf. Wilson says that her mind, “is pretty much set on turning pro straight out of high school, and it’s always been like that. College is kind of plan B for me, and I told my coach that when I first committed to college” (via Golfweek).
“Honestly, for me personally, because I’m not as disciplined as Rose or Michelle that went to college,” Wilson says , “for my type of personality, it’d be probably best for me to spend a year on tour taking those first bumps and bruises, and then going up and improving along the way” (via Golfweek).
The 2023 AJGA Player of the Year is set to attend Stage 1 of the LPGA Qualifying School at the end of August at Mission Hills Country Club. But before she can make it to Rancho Mirage, California, Wilson will first compete at Mizuho, then move on to the Amundi Evian Championship and the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Yana has already accomplished so much in her amateur career, from winning the 2022 U.S. Girls Junior over Gianna Clemente, a dramatic victory at the 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Annika Invitational where she beat Anna Davis in a playoff by holing a wedge shot for eagle, and winning numerous other junior events. With all of the talent Yana has, along with her desire to learn more about the game of golf and improve, there is no doubt she will accomplish big things in her professional career.
Photo Credit: USGA
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