Jacksonville's Kaitlyn Schroeder rallies to win third American Junior Golf Association title

Craig Dolch
·1 min read
Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville was a winner for the third time on the American Junior Golf Association on Friday in Jupiter.
Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville was a winner for the third time on the American Junior Golf Association on Friday in Jupiter.

JUPITER – Adversity comes in many forms on the golf course.

For Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, it came with a bogey-par-double bogey start in Friday’s final round of the Rolex Girls Junior Championship at the Loxahatchee Club

Suddenly, Schroeder’s one-shot lead became a two-shot deficit. But the 17-year-old rebounded with three birdies on the next seven holes to shoot 72 and cruise to a three-shot victory over Gianna Clemente of Warren, Ohio.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the start I wanted, but it was just really one bad swing from being 1-over,” said Schroeder, a verbal commit to the University of Alabama. “I knew the golf course was tough, so I knew if I just could stay in there and hit good shots I could grind my way back. “It’s definitely a confidence booster for the future because I know if I’m ever down I can always come back.”

It was Schroeder’s third AJGA title, but first in an invitational. She finished at 2-under 286, adding her name to a list of winners that includes major champions Inbee Park and Ariya Jutanugarn.

“It’s my biggest win because in invitationals you get to play against the best players in the country,” Schroeder said. “This is one of the best courses I have ever played. It brought a lot of challenges, but it was also fair.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville rallies to win third AJGA title