Divisional podium finishers join members of Silver Belle Committee at the conclusion of the 54th Annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship; photo by Jacob Ribeiro
EMERIE SCHARTZ PUTS TOGETHER STANDOUT CLOSING ROUND TO CLAIM THE 54TH ANNUAL JOANNE WINTER ARIZONA SILVER BELLE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLEDecember 30, 2025
Briarwood Country Club, Sun City West — Scores are final and champions have been crowned at the 54th Annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship, as competitors wrapped up 54 holes in the closing days of 2025. The middle of the pack teed off from holes one and ten beginning at 9:00 am, while the final groups took to the course later in the morning with the championship on the line. Emerie Schartz delivered a closing performance to remember. Schartz fired a spectacular final-round 65, the lowest score of the tournament, punctuated by nine birdies on the day. With momentum building down the stretch, she sealed the victory in standout fashion, finishing birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie on holes 15 through 18 to pull away from the field. Her late surge secured both the 17–18 division title and the Overall Championship: “I was really committed to the plan that me and my dad and sister all came up with during practice rounds and I just was really steady out on the golf course. I never got ahead of myself, just hit good shots and hit them to good targets” Schartz said post-round. “It feels really good especially with how I left here last year. It feels good to get a win and end the year like this.” Last year, Emerie finished T23 with 221 strokes (74|70|77), carding significant improvement to finish this year's tournament with 209 strokes (72|72|65). “The hardest part for me was just staying patient, not getting ahead of myself cause I feel like when I’m out, I want to make birdie on every hole but you have to slow down and just be where your feet are.” Her patience was evident as she finished Day One T9, conquered Day Two’s challenging conditions to rise to T3, and concluded the 54-hole tournament at the top of the leaderboard. “It brings a lot of momentum to my game. Going into my tournament next week, I just feel really good and I’m ready to go tee it up again.” There is no doubt that Emerie will continue to thrive and excel in competitive tournaments and at the collegiate level at Texas A&M in College Station. A strong showing also came from Paradise Valley's Beau Ellington, who impressed on Day 3 with a three-under-par 69 to finish sixth overall, highlighting her competitive grit under final-round pressure. At the conclusion of play, division champions were crowned across a talented field. Kylie Chung claimed the 14 & Under division, showcasing consistency and maturity beyond her years. Rounding out the top three in the 14 & Under division were Beau Ellington of Paradise Valley, AZ, finishing at two-over-par, and Aubrey Lee of Stevenson Ranch, CA at three-over-par. All three podium finishers are members of the Class of 2030, and will have many more opportunities to return to Briarwood Country Club and shine. Avery Schartz emerged victorious in the highly competitive 15–16 division, holding her ground throughout the week. Two strokes back in a tie for second were Nicole Tang of Bellevue, WA, and Niuniu Zhao of Woodinville, WA. Tang carded six birdies in the final round, posting a three-under-par 69. Year after year, Tang continues to produce impressive performances, and the Class of 2027 standout will be one to watch when she returns for her senior year. Emerie Schartz completed a dominant week with victories in both the 17–18 division and the Overall Championship. Joining her on the podium were Kuree Little of Palmdale, CA, and Nina Choe of New York, NY, who both finished at three-over-par, ten strokes back of the overall champion. The 54th Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship once again showcased elite junior talent, competitive depth, the spirit of excellence, and an incredible display of sportsmanship, a phenomenal way to conclude 2025. The Arizona Silver Belle exists because of three key elements: the Visionary—Joanne Winter—who breathed life into it, the Volunteers who have nurtured its development, and the Players of great skill and character who have given it an outstanding reputation. On behalf of Silver Belle management and the board, we congratulate all participants and wish them continued success in the year ahead. We look forward to welcoming new and returning competitors back to Briarwood Country Club for future editions of the Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship. Click here for the full leaderboard. All photos can be found above and in the link in the @azsbsilverbelle instagram bio. History of Silver Belle & Joanne Winter In the late 1960s and early ‘70s, LPGA professional Joanne Winter dreamed of providing an event in Arizona where junior girls and college girls could play together. At that time there were few golf tournaments for girls, especially in this region of the country. But Joanne possessed the drive and determination to turn her dream tournament into a reality. A successful multi-sport athlete who has since been inducted into both the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame and National Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame, she started gathering resources. She received seed money from one of her students. The Arizona Women’s Golf Association provided tournament guidance. Her old friends the Wrigleys, who had created the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for which she had once played, also owned the Biltmore, and waived green fees there. Gradually Joanne’s vision came to fruition, and in 1971 the Arizona Silver Belle Championship was born. Campbell Leid | Communications Associate [email protected] | www.jgaa.org 
Kylie Chung (Class of 2030, Cumming, GA); photo by Jacob Ribeiro
WINDY CONDITIONS TEST THE FIELD ON DAY TWO OF THE 54TH ANNUAL JOANNE WINTER SILVER BELLE CHAMPIONSHIPDecember 29, 2025
Briarwood Country Club, Sun City West — Golfers were met with substantially more challenging conditions on Day Two of the 54th Annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship as winds swept across Briarwood Country Club, testing competitors’ ability to adjust their approach and patience. Despite the added difficulty, Kylie Chung (Class of 2030, Cumming, GA) emerged as the leader after 36 holes, holding the outright lead at 3-under-par. Chung followed her opening-round 70 with a steady 1-under-par 71, continuing an impressive showing with poise well beyond her years. Just one stroke back at 2-under-par sits Avery Schartz (Class of 2028, Wichita, KS), who posted back-to-back rounds of 71 to remain in contention heading into the final round. Avery has carded nine total birdies across the 36 holes, five in Round One and four the Round Two, the most amongst the field. A tie for third at even par includes Avery’s sister and Texas A&M commit, Emerie Schartz (Class of 2026, Wichita, KS), and UC Davis commit, Nina Choe (Class of 2026, New York, NY), as both navigated the challenging conditions with consistency to stay within striking distance. Post-round the Schartz sisters commented, “It’s really fun to both be at the top just because we work hard together and it’s kind of just like [being] back home…but definitely [with] some competitive nature.” Both looked at each other, smiled, and giggled, their care for one another and sibling competitiveness is evident. When asked about what went well on the course, Avery shared, “I controlled the ball really well and being able to hit shots that not a lot of people can hit in wind is a big deal.“ Emerie added, “I putted pretty well inside 10 feet on the greens which is good for windy days…and I was pretty good off the tee too.” The depth of the leaderboard remains strong, with a group of players at 1-over-par—including Niuniu Zhao, Melinee Udom, and Isabella Fernandez—while several others sit just two shots back at 2-over-par. Through 36 holes, Emerie Schartz and Nina Choe are battling for the 17-18 division crown. Avery Schartz has the outright lead for the 15-16 age division, sitting three strokes ahead. Kylie Chung has a comfortable five stroke cushion for the 14&U division and aims to retain the spot atop the overall leaderboard. As the 54th Annual tournament enters its final round, just a handful of strokes separate the leaders from the chasing pack. As tension rises going into the final round with many college coaches in attendance, and the title on the line, mental resilience and consistency will be critical in determining the champion. Wind is not expected to be as much of a hurdle tomorrow with a high of 72 degrees and winds capped at 10 mph. Final round tee times are scheduled for 9am, double-tee, double-wave, with champions to be crowned across all three age divisions and overall following the conclusion of play. Follow @azsilverbelle on social media and visit azsb.bluegolf.com for live scoring and updates. Campbell Leid | Communications Associate [email protected] | www.jgaa.org 
Ein Kim (Class of 2028, Irvine, CA); photo by Jacob Ribeiro
SUNNY SKIES AND COMPETITIVE FIRE IGNITE DAY ONE AT THE 54TH ANNUAL JOANNE WINTER ARIZONA SILVER BELLE CHAMPIONSHIPDecember 28, 2025
Briarwood Country Club, Sun City West – Under Arizona’s signature sunshine and temperatures reaching a perfect 67 degrees, Briarwood Country Club welcomed 83 elite golfers to compete for the 55th Annual Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship title. The nationally recognized event, founded in 1971, continues to draw future stars from across the country and beyond. This year, the field represents 17 US states—including AL, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA—and Canada. Competitors took full advantage of the ideal conditions to establish early momentum on Briarwood’s par-72, 6,129-yard course. The star-studded field is battling for titles across three age divisions—14 & under, 15-16, and 17-18—as well as the overall championship crown. The 2024 overall champion Asia Young, a University of Texas commit from Bend, OR, currently ranked 13th on the Junior Golf Scoreboard and 11th on the Rolex AJGA Rankings, returned to defend her title and set the tone for another exciting 54 holes. Eight of last year’s top-10 returned determined to contend for the overall champion title. Among those golfers are Asia Young, Rina Kawasaki, Kelly Zhang (2024 14 & under champion), Jessica Jang, Nicole Tang, Gabriella Gu, Raquel Walker, and Niuniu Zhao. Also among this year’s field is Wichita’s talented Emerie Schartz, Texas A & M commit, and selected member of the 2026 US National Junior Team. A tightly packed leaderboard emerged after the opening round. Ein Kim set the pace on Day 1, carding a 3-under-par 69 to take the outright lead. Kim’s impressive performance gives her a one-shot advantage heading into Round 2. Just one stroke back at 2-under-par are Gabriella Gu and Kylie Chung. A group of five golfers including Asia Young, Hayden Knapp, Isabella Fernandez, Kennedy MacCleery, and Avery Schartz, sit T4 at 1-under-par, highlighting the depth of the field and are all within striking distance. Post-round Young commented, “My goal is just to do better than I did last year. Today I feel like I definitely left some out there but I know this course well so just trusting the practice, the preparation I put in the last year and trying to do my very best in every shot.” Asked about the hardest part of the course, Young added, “I would say definitely the greens. They’re very slopy and very firm so even with wedges you can’t really stick it right next to the pin so it makes it challenging and you have to do some calculations.” Eighth-grader Kylie Chung had a standout showing, finishing 2-under-par 70, currently sitting T2. Chung carded an eagle on hole 8, along with two birdies, to propel her to a 35 out, 35 in. “I hit a lot of fairways so that helped” Chung said. When asked where she could improve, the young star said, “I probably need to make more putts.” The green design, firmness, and pin placements proved to be the primary challenge of the day, and the ability to adjust will be critical to success. Isabella Fernandez of Irvine, CA scored a strong 1-under-par 71 and highlighted her favorite part of the event is meeting new people, making new friends, and playing such an incredible course. This encapsulates the intention and purpose of the Silver Belle Spirit. Joanne’s friend Judy Loftfield Whitehouse, summed it up: “The Silver Belle offered Arizona and Southwestern young players a chance to compete and watch the best of women’s collegiate golf during the Title IX first wave; it spurred our state’s high school players to learn about college team opportunities; and on top of all that, all the volunteers and Joanne herself made the tournament fun, exciting, and memorable for the competitors.” That spirit is deep-rooted in the history of the tournament and continues on. With just two shots separating the top eight players, the title remains wide open as competitors look to build and capture momentum in the days ahead. Kim and Gu, both Irvine natives, came ready to play and put up an incredibly strong showing, though 36 holes of golf remain. Competition will resume tomorrow with Round 2 tee times scheduled for 9 am. Click here for the full leaderboard and follow @azsilverbelle on social for updates! Campbell Leid | Communications Associate [email protected] | www.jgaa.org 
Asia Young, 2024 Joanne Winter Silver Belle Champion
ASIA YOUNG CAPTURES THE 53RD ANNUAL JOANNE WINTER ARIZONA SILVER BELLE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE12.30.2024
Briarwood Country Club, Sun City West – Scores are in, awards are out for the 2024 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship. Day three brought another impeccable day of golf and conditions, making for a dreamy 54-hole tournament. The middle of the pack teed off from holes one and ten at promptly 9am. The final three groups teed off at 10:48, 11:57, and 11:06 respectively. In the overall division, Asia Young from Bend, Oregon, was crowned champion. Young led the way from start to finish, finishing with a three-day total of 208 (69|69|70). Young demonstrated incredible consistency throughout the three days out at Briarwood Country Club. After sharing the lead on day one, she claimed the standalone lead after day two, and secured the title on day three with poise. In each round she finished with just one bogey. First two rounds were 35 out, 34 in, with the final round deviating slightly 34 out, 36 in. Young began the final round four strokes up and finished at five, maintaining a comfortable lead. In a post-tournament interview Young said, “This week was really special. Something I did well this week which I am really proud of was I made good decisions and kept the cards pretty clean with limited bogeys. That is something I have been working on that when I am out of position, I just get it back in play and at make par or bogey at worst. There were definitely a lot of coaches this week and people watching which was amazing but something I did to really stay in the moment and make sure I didn’t get nervous or ahead of myself was to try to do my very best with every shot and just be patient and let it happen.” In the 14 and under division, the youngest on the course made arguably the loudest noise. Kelly Zhang, class of 2030 of Hillsborough, CA, finished the 54-holes with a three-day total of 214 (73|69|72) to win the division and finish T3 overall in the field of 90 golfers. Zhang racked up the greatest number of birdies, with a three-day total of 15, five more than Mia Clausen of Carlsbad, CA, with 10. Gabriella Gu finished in second place for the 14&U division, two strokes behind Zhang with a three-day total of 216 (70|75|71), to finish even par. On day one, hole two, Gu holed-out for an eagle. If that wasn’t enough to celebrate, Gu aced hole 3 on day three, for her first ever hole-in-one. The stiffest competition came from our 15-16 age division. Five golfers finished under par and ranked as follows: Asia Young (Bend, OR|-8), Rina Kawasaki (Palos Verdes Estates, CA|-3), Ha Young Chang (Surrey, BC|-2), Jessica Jang (La Canada, CA|-1), and Nicole Tang (Bellevue, WA|-1). Rina Kawasaki, shot the lowest round of the tournament at 68, a clean bogey-free card, 33 out, 35 in. Luna Lu and Raquel Walker tied with 216 strokes, even par for the tournament. In a scorecard playoff, Luna Lu secured the division, finishing with 71 on day three with five birdies on the day. Angela Arora, junior at University of Arizona won the 19-23 division at +4. Melanie Walker, junior at University of Missouri was runner-up at +9. Click here for the full leaderboard. All photos will be posted on social in the coming days. The 53rd Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship concluded with an exceptional talent and display of sportsmanship, a phenomenal way to conclude 2024. The Arizona Silver Belle exists because of three key elements: the Visionary — Joanne Winter — who breathed life into it, the Volunteers who have nurtured its development and the Players of great skill and character who have given it an outstanding reputation. On behalf of the Silver Belle management and board, we wish all participants future success and a Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming new and returning players for the 54th Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship in 2025. Mark your calendars for another unforgettable competition! History of Silver Belle & Joanne Winter In the late 1960s and early ‘70s, LPGA professional Joanne Winter dreamed of providing an event in Arizona where junior girls and college girls could play together. At that time there were few golf tournaments for girls, especially in this region of the country. But Joanne possessed the drive and determination to turn her dream tournament into a reality. A successful multi-sport athlete who has since been inducted into both the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame and National Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame, she started gathering resources. She received seed money from one of her students. The Arizona Women’s Golf Association provided tournament guidance. Her old friends the Wrigleys, who had created the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for which she had once played, also owned the Biltmore, and waived green fees there. Gradually Joanne’s vision came to fruition, and in 1971 the Arizona Silver Belle Championship was born. 
Anya Mathur, 2025, Scottsdale, AZ
ASIA YOUNG PULLS AWAY, TAKES COMMANDING FOUR STROKE LEAD12.29.2024
Briarwood Country Club, Sun City West – All golfers returned to Briarwood Country Club for round two for the 2024 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship. A moment to recognize our sponsors of the event – the Alberta B Farrington Foundation and the Thunderbirds – thank you for your contributions and making this event possible. Another beautiful day of sunshine, the course remains in phenomenal condition. Pins were placed with significantly greater difficulty than day one, yet the talented field of golfers rose to the challenge. Division 1 coaches, representing universities including University of Arizona, Arizona State, UNLV, Washington, Texas, Indiana, BYU, among others attentively scouted future talent. Asia Young (Bend, OR) finished the day with another round of 69, for a two-day total of six under par, and running away with the lead. Four strokes back is Kelly Zhang, class of 2030, of Hillsborough, CA, also finishing with a 69 on the day. Post-round Zhang commented, “Approach shots went well today. I was able to stick it close and putt some of them in.” She is excited to return tomorrow to play and meet new people. One stroke behind Zhang is Anya Mathur, current senior and Yale commit, hailing from Scottsdale, who shot even par on the day. The competition remains tight with six people at T4, with 144 strokes (even par) after 36 holes of play. Among those Emerie Schartz (University of Arkansas commit), Nicole Tang, Ha Young Chang, Raquel Walker (Virginia Tech commit), Angela Arora (University of Arizona), and Amy Lee (University of Texas at Austin commit). There were three eagles on the day: Cynthia Lang (hole 1, par 4), Emerie Schartz (hole 8, par 5), and Molly Spector (hole 8, par 5). The lowest round across the board has been 69. The final day of competition will take place tomorrow, Monday, December 30, 2024. Round 3 tee times scheduled for 9am following a traditional reverse horseshoe, double tee format. The middle of the pack will tee off first, from both hole 1 and hole 10, fighting their way to the top, with lowest scores teeing off last from hole 1. The final three groups will have standard bearers. Click here for the full leaderboard and follow @azsilverbelle on social for updates! 
Nicole Tang, 2027, Bellevue, WA
FOUR TIED AFTER ROUND ONE OF 2024 JOANNE WINTER ARIZONA SILVER BELLE12.28.2024
Briarwood Country Club, Sun City West – Round one of play at the 2024 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship, hosted by Briarwood Country Club, is officially in the books. Early morning clouds gave way to pristine conditions by mid-morning, with temperatures peaking at a pleasant 68 degrees and little to no wind. Ninety talented players from across the United States and Canada teed it up in pursuit of the 54th Annual Silver Belle Championship title. Four players – Asia Young (Bend, OR), Luna Lu (Burnaby, BC), Nicole Tang (Bellevue, WA), and Kacey Ly (Temple City, CA) – share the lead at three under par, each shooting 69. Lu’s stellar day included six birdies, while Ly tallied five, Young and Tang with four. Reflecting on her round, Lu commented, “I made a lot of long putts for birdie and hopefully I’ll keep doing that.” Young described the greens as “fast and firm,” and added, “I know if I start on line, it has a good chance of going in.” The competition remains tight with fourteen players under par after the first 18 holes – four at 69, five at 70, and five at 71. Among those is Gabriella Gu from Irvine, CA who made the most of her opportunity after coming off the waitlist. “I was on the waitlist and had the amazing opportunity to play today. Today was a really fun round. I really like this course and I got my first hole-out eagle on the second hole from 125 and that was a really great experience.” When asked what they are looking forward to in the rounds ahead, all leaders responded with similar optimism. Tang summarized beautifully: “Stick to the gameplan and stabilize everything.” There is still plenty of golf left to play. Competition will resume tomorrow with Round 2 tee times scheduled for 9 am. Click here for the full leaderboard and follow @azsilverbelle on social for updates! 
Nikki Oh, 2023 Arizona Silver Belle Champion
2023 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship
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2025 Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship Briarwood Country Club / Dec. 28-30
Tournament details are available on our Tournament General Info page, Schedule of Events page and the Results & Pairings page. 
Briarwood Country Club - A special gem in NW Phoenix, Briarwood CC, a private club, is a traditional parkland course designed by Greg Nash. The fairways are wide but a winding creek and small elevated greens will hold the players attention. Briarwood has hosted the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Qualifier, AZ Senior Women’s Championship as well as several other state tournaments. They host a First Tee of Phoenix program as well as offer their facilities to Ottawa University AZ men’s and women’s golf teams. Briarwood Country Club was selected as AWGA Host Club of the Year in both 2014 and 2016 by the players, volunteers and staff.
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