Lavanya picked up her second international runner-up finish this year
Delhi’s Lavanya Gupta continued her upward rise on the international junior golf circuit, securing a runner-up finish at the AJGA PGA West Junior Championship held in La Quinta, California from June 17–20. The 17-year-old carded rounds of 68-72-72 to finish at 4-under 212, just two shots behind winner Erin Lee of California, who fired a final-round 66 to seal the title at 6-under 210.
Fast greens and a tight course setup at the demanding layout of the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course tested the field of elite juniors from across the globe. Across three rounds, Lavanya recorded an impressive 15 birdies and one eagle.
This marks her second runner-up finish in an international event in 2025. Earlier this year, she finished second at the Black Mountain Asian Junior Masters in Thailand, held from February 14–16. She had also previously impressed on the AJGA circuit with another second-place result at the Austin Minnesota Junior Championship, where she battled tough weather conditions that included high winds and rain.
Thanks to that finish in Minnesota, Lavanya secured full exemption status for all AJGA events in 2024, enabling her to compete more freely and frequently on U.S. soil. Last year, she also claimed the inaugural Optimas–JAGA International Series title—a WAGR-recognised three-day junior tournament that attracted a strong international field.
Gupta’s recent results underscore a positive trend in her form as she continues to stack up significant results in elite junior golf.