Round 2 Results – 2025 Patriot

David Bataller, Media Director

(760) 845-6986 | [email protected]

 

 

 

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – University of Southern California sophomore Kylie Chong surged to the top of the Women’s Division leaderboard, while Arizona State’s Connor Williams maintained a two-shot lead in the Men’s Division after two rounds at the 15^th annual Patriot All -America Invitational. View the entire 2025 Patriot All-America leaderboard here.

 

“I stayed really patient and it was just a really relaxing round,” said Chong, a sophomore from Torrance, Calif., who carded a -4 (66) to take sole possession of the 36-hole lead. “I kept every ball in the fairway, hit a lot of greens. A lot of two putts, and some went in.”

 

“Today was a little bit different – I feel like I stayed very patient,” said Williams, a junior from Escondido, Calif., who birdied two of the last three holes to finish off a -4 (66) round and sit at -10 overall. “I wasn’t great at the start of the round, I didn’t make a ton of putts, but I finished really nicely on the back nine there. Happy with the round.”

 

Meanwhile nearby at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club, Oregon State standout Rylan Johnson shot a course-record – and Thunderbolt-record – -8 (63) to move into a tie for the lead with Marquette’s Vincent Cervantes at -5 overall. Cervantes recorded seven birdies as part of a second-round -6 (65). View the entire 2025 Thunderbolt leaderboard here.

 

“It just felt good to go out there and be mistake free for the most part – any time you go bogey-free it feels great, that’s for sure,” said Johnson, a senior from nearby Gilbert, Ariz., who was a last-minute addition to The Thunderbolt field. “To have my brother on the bag and keep me calm, cool and collected out there, it felt good.”

 

“Overall, I just hit the ball really close today and took advantage of those putts,” said Cervantes, the reigning Big East Conference Freshman of the Year, also an Arizona native from nearby Chandler. “It’s pretty special, the weather is pretty good back home, I can’t really complain.”

 

On the Blue Course at the Wigwam Golf Club, Chong added an eagle on hole 5 to three birdies, firmly in control of her round as she surged up the Women’s Division leaderboard. Co-First round leader Tillie Claggett of Vanderbilt is alone in second place at -4 overall after a +1 (71), with fellow co-first round leader Amy DeKock of Kansas and Nena Wongthanavimok of Arizona a shot back at -3 overall. In all, 13 players are within four shots of the lead in a loaded Women’s Division of the Patriot All-America.

 

A few yards away on the Wigwam Golf Club Gold Course, Williams needed a strong finish to break a back-nine deadlock with Florida’s Parker Bell, who shot a stellar -5 (65) in the second round and is alone in second place at -8 overall. Illinois’ Ryan Voois is alone in third at -4 overall after a second straight round of -2 (68), with four players tied for fourth at -2 for the tournament.

 

And in nearby Surprise, Ariz., Johnson’s clean scorecard featured eight birdies, four as he went out in 31 and four more as he came in hot with three birdies on his last four holes for a 32. Playing with his brother on the bag, Johnson’s round was two strokes better than Cervantes’, who finished with seven birdies and one bogey for an outstanding round of -6 (65). Thayer Plewe of New Mexico is alone in third at -4 overall after a -3 (68), and six more players are tied for fourth at -3 overall. Similar to the Women’s Division of the Patriot All-America, 17 players are within four shots of the lead at The Thunderbolt.

 

Final Round play from both the Wigwam Golf Club’s Blue and Gold Courses, as well as Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club, is scheduled for 9:00 am on Wednesday, December 31. For more information including player pairings, live leaderboards and schedule of events, visit patriotallamerica.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Featuring golf’s stars of tomorrow, The Patriot All-America is regarded as a top amateur event nationally, attracting PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as from universities outside the United States. The West Valley Mavericks (Mavericks), The Patriot All-America LLC, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), and JDM Partners partner with the Folds of Honor Foundation to host the tournament, played December 29-31 annually at The Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz. For more information visit patriotallamerica.com.

 

Following the overwhelming success of The Patriot All-America Invitational, organizers implemented a second tournament to the Patriot lineup named The Thunderbolt in 2022. Played at Sterling Grove Golf + Country Club in Surprise, Ariz., it features 72 more of the nation’s top male collegiate players competing in a three-round event on the same dates as The Patriot: December 29-31. Named after the Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt, The Thunderbolt has been added to accommodate those players that met the initial eligibility but did not make it into The Patriot. For more information visit patriotallamerica.com.

 

The Wigwam’s three 18-hole championship golf courses offer a diversity that cannot be matched by any other Arizona resort, with 54 holes of championship golf including two courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The Gold Course has hosted many signature tournaments over the years, including numerous U.S. Open Qualifiers, U.S. Amateur Qualifiers, several NCAA Regional Championships and the annual Patriot All-America Invitational, one of the top amateur competitions in the world. The 7,430 yard, par 72 track has also received various industry awards and accolades since opening in 1965, including being named one of the “Top 100 Golf Courses in America.” In December 2009, The Wigwam (including the golf courses and resort property) was purchased by JDM Partners, led by sports icon Jerry Colangelo. For more information, please visit wigwamgolf.com.

 

Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors.

 

Founded in 1983, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA), formerly known as the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA), began as an organization to promote participation in women’s collegiate golf. The vision of the WGCA since its inception has been to encourage the playing of intercollegiate golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents the finest coaches in women’s golf with a membership of over 650 coaches of Division I, II & III, NAIA and NJCAA collegiate programs.

 

About the West Valley Mavericks
The West Valley Mavericks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in late 2012 by a group of community leaders with a shared vision for the West Valley. The Mavericks are driven by the belief that the West Valley is an exceptional place to live, work, play, and do business. Our mission is to advance charity, community, culture, and commerce throughout the West Valley of Phoenix. Through individual donations, fundraising events, business sponsorships, ticket sales, and hands-on community service, we work to support local families, children, and veterans, assist those in need, and enhance the overall quality of life in our communities. For more information, visit westvalleymavericksfoundation.org.

 

About Folds of Honor
Folds of Honor is a nonprofit organization that provides academic scholarships to the spouses and children of military members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving. Educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, as well as post-secondary tuition (two- or four-year college/university, technical or trade school). Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded over 29,000 scholarships totaling over $145 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 41 percent are minorities.