Tyler Watts, Elizabeth Rudisill, Charlie Woods Headline 2025 Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship Field
Five of America’s top 10-ranked junior golfers, a returning former champion and the son of a golf icon headline the field committed to play in 2025 in the 10th edition of the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship Presented by LA Golf, set for Feb. 28 through March 2 at TPC Myrtle Beach.
Tyler Watts (Huntsville, Ala.), currently ranked No. 5 by the American Junior Golf Association in its Rolex AJGA Boys Rankings, tops this year’s entries in the DJ World Junior’s Boys Division. Watts finished T-3 in the 2024 DJ World Junior and will face a stern test from 10th-ranked Mason Howell (Thomasville, Ga.), who earned a T-9 finish last year at TPC Myrtle Beach; and No. 7-ranked Asher Vargas (Spring, Tex.), who was runner-up in the 2024 Boy’s Junior PGA Championship.
Elizabeth Rudisill (Charlotte, N.C.), ranked third in the Rolex AJGA Girls Rankings, leads the pack for the Girls Division along with ninth-ranked Amelie Zalsman (St. Petersburg, Fla.), who finished T-7 at the 2024 DJ World Junior. Ryleigh Knaub (Debary, Fla.), who won the 2023 DJ World Junior, returns in 2025 in her final quest for a second championship here after a runner-up finish last year.
Adding to the intrigue in this year’s Boys Division is the DJ World Junior debut of Charlie Woods (Jupiter, Fla.), son of PGA TOUR legend and 15-time major championship winner Tiger Woods. Charlie made headlines last month when he and his father teamed up for a runner-up finish at the 2024 PNC Championship, highlighted by the hole-in-one Charlie recorded at the par-3 fourth hole at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
A 54-hole, college-style event, the DJ World Junior boast a field of 90 players (60 boys, 30 girls). While just nine years old, the event has produced three past champions (PGA TOUR’s Akshay Bhatia and Nick Dunlap, LPGA Tour’s Alexa Pano) who have already advanced to and won at the game’s highest levels.
With Johnson’s support, the tournament provides players one of the premier experiences in junior golf, and the opportunity to test themselves against outstanding competition. A significant part of the event’s appeal is TPC Myrtle Beach, one of the Grand Strand’s most decorated layouts. TPC Myrtle Beach has hosted the Senior PGA Tour Championship and been ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest, making it an ideal venue to test golf’s rising young stars.
The Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship is sponsored by LA Golf, Founders Group International, the Dustin Johnson Golf School, and Golf Tourism Solutions. Johnson’s involvement with the tournament reflects his long-time commitment to junior golf, particularly in South Carolina, where he grew into one of the world’s best players. Through the Dustin Johnson Foundation, which is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, Johnson has donated more than $500,000 to junior golf, sponsoring numerous events throughout the state and helping cover entry costs for kids who need financial assistance.
For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgolfchampionship.com.
