Alena Li of Okemos Wins GAM Junior Girls’ Championship

Alena Li of Okemos picked up where she left off in 2023.

Last year’s GAM Girls’ Junior Player of the Year opened 2024 with a win in the GAM Girls’ Junior Championship recently at Washtenaw Golf Club. Li, age 16, shot a 1-over 73 in a wind-whipped final round for a 3-over two-day total of 147 to win by nine shots.

Mia Melendez of Ann Arbor shot 79 for 156 and second place, and Jessica Jolly of Rockford, who has committed to Illinois State University, closed with a 78 for 158 and third place.

A field of 69 golfers played in the new championship, which replaced the former GAM Junior Kickoff tournament of recent years. The first GAM Junior Boys’ Championship will be played in August, also at Washtenaw.

A champion was also determined in the 15-and-under age group with some similar circumstances. Saisha Patil of Okemos, the GAM 15-and-under Girls’ Junior Player of the Year in 2023, started 2024 as a winner, too. Patil, 13, shot a final-round 76 for 154, just one shot ahead of Esther Zhang of Ann Arbor.

 “I feel like it’s a really big win because I played well and I felt more confidence, which is good,” Li said. “I definitely want to keep getting better and playing as well as I can, but I’d like to win a few things, too. This is a good start.”