Aphrodite Deng got to live out the dream of every competitive golfer, playing two rounds with the best in the world and excelling on the course, and she’s just 15 years old.
Deng played alongside Nelly Korda of the United States at the Mizuho Americas Open, winning the junior tournament on May 11 while the American tied for fifth in the LPGA Tour’s event of the same name.
“It was a really fun experience,” said Deng, who also won the American Junior Golf Association’s Junior Invitational in March by six strokes. “I was trying not to think too much about who’s watching stuff, but it was fun.”
Deng was born in Calgary and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She mostly lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.
She said that she learned a lot from observing Korda, who won five consecutive tournaments and seven total last season to return to world No. 1 in the women’s world golf rankings and earn the 2024 LPGA Tour’s Player of the Year award.
“It was really cool to see how (Korda) carries herself on the course and in her game,” said Deng on Wednesday. “I think she takes more time and puts in a lot of thought for each shot.
“I think I need some of that in my life.”
Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said that Deng has grown stronger over the course of the season and it’s helped her improve her game.
“She’s hitting the ball quite a bit further,” said MacDonald. “She’s always been a really consistent player, drives it great, but just in the last few months she’s been getting a little bit of extra distance.
“That’s helping her out a ton. She’s just super steady.”
Both Deng and MacDonald were at Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto for Team Canada’s media day, where media and other stakeholders could train like Golf Canada players for a day.
Deng, who has taught golf to younger children, said she was looking forward to instructing adults.
Golf Canada announced at the media day at Weston that it was adding 11 Canadians to the field at the RBC Canadian Open.
Korn Ferry Tour players Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Matthew Anderson, both from Mississauga, Ont., headlined the group. Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., earned his exemption as the top Canadian amateur player on the world rankings and Calgary’s Hunter Thomson earned his exemption by finishing first on the individual leaderboard at the inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational last September at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont.
