Lakhawala, Park Advance to Championship Match at 72nd Junior Girls' Championship
NEWARK, N.J. –– Through rain and challenging conditions, the field of the 2026 New Jersey Girls' Amateur Championship was narrowed to two as Vidhi Lakhawala and Anna Park advanced to Thursday's championship match at Weequahic Golf Course.
Lakhawala, a recent high school graduate, earned her spot in the final by defeating medalist Jessica Kim, 3 and 2, in the morning quarterfinals before adding a hard-fought semifinal victory over Chloe Donohue.
Against Donohue, Lakhawala built a 2-up lead at the turn after winning holes 7, 8 and 9. Donohue mounted a charge on the back nine, claiming holes 10, 11 and 12 to briefly swing momentum in her favor. Lakhawala responded with victories on holes 13 and 15, including a birdie on the par-4 15th, to regain control of the match. She ultimately secured the win on the 18th hole when both players made par to close out a 1-up victory.
"Playing the number one seed, Jessica, who's a really good player, I knew going in that I would have to hit a lot of really good shots and make a lot of good putts, which is what I was able to do in the morning," said Lakhawala. "And then for the second round, against Chloe, another really good player, I just focused on doing the same thing I did in the morning — playing my own game and trusting my shots and my swing."
Lakhawala, who will attend Wake Forest University this fall and currently ranks No. 8 in the AJGA Rolex Girls Rankings, credited her extensive match-play experience for helping her navigate the pressure-packed day.
"Having that experience really helps me know that I perform well under pressure and do well in match-play situations," Lakhawala added. "Knowing that gives me a little more confidence, and even if I'm down early in a match, I know I can rally back and get the win."
The day's second semifinal was equally dramatic. Carolina Lim and Anna Park remained all square through 16 holes after multiple momentum swings throughout the match.
Lim held a 2-up advantage through six holes before Park responded by winning three consecutive holes to take a 1-up lead through 12. Lim battled back to square the match and delivered a clutch birdie on the 128-yard par-3 17th to move 1-up with one hole to play.
Park answered on the 18th to extend the match, and after both players matched pars on the first extra hole, Park secured her place in the championship match with a birdie on the second playoff hole.
The championship match between Lakhawala and Park will begin Thursday, June 25, at 7:30 a.m. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
Quarterfinal Results
Vidhi Lakhawala def. Jessica Kim, 3 and 2
Chloe Donohue def. Olivia Gaglione, 5 and 3
Carolina Lim def. Athena Lin, 1-up
Anna Park def. Sophia Mysliwiec, 3 and 1
Semifinal Results
Vidhi Lakhawala def. Chloe Donohue, 1-up
Anna Park def. Carolina Lim, 20 holes
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