Amateur Gianna Clemente Makes Cut at The Chevron Championship to Earn LEAP Point

Credit: Sarah Kellman

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Of the eight amateurs who were invited to play in this year’s Chevron Championship, it was only Gianna Clemente who ultimately made the cut and who, by doing so, earned her third point in the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) standings.

The 17-year-old kicked off her week in The Woodlands, Texas with a 1-under 71, a round that saw the teenage talent make four bogeys, three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 4th hole at The Club at Carlton Woods to finish under-par on the first day of her major championship debut. Clemente then bettered that score by one stroke in round two, posting a 2-under 70 after completing her second round on Saturday morning, as play was suspended due to darkness at 8:04 p.m. local time on Friday evening.

“It was definitely difficult. We finished really late last night, and it was kind of a rush to get to sleep and get as many hours as I could,” Clemente said. “Definitely an early morning, but wasn’t too much golf. It was only three holes, so I feel like it was pretty easy. Started with a pretty simple par 3, so I think that helped ease into it a little bit. Made one birdie out there and just tried to make pars, honestly.”

Because of her made cut, Clemente has automatically earned low amateur honors at The Chevron Championship, another achievement for the Floridian to add to her already impressive resume. She was among two Augusta National Women’s Amateur champions and winners of several other notable amateur tournaments this week, but the 17-year-old Clemente held her own at this difficult major venue and played much better than many of the professionals in the field who are very much her senior.

“It’s just super special. Definitely this golf course can be pretty tricky, so I can understand how there were some high numbers,” Clemente said on Saturday morning. “I really went out there and trusted my game and trusted my swing especially and tried to hit as many greens and fairways as I could. Just happened to work.”

Maybe more important to her long-term success, Clemente also picked up one LEAP point with her made cut at The Chevron Championship. LEAP is a new LPGA program that gives high-level amateur players an opportunity to earn Tour membership by accruing points for their performances in both amateur and professional tournaments. Athletes will also earn points if they secure any notable amateur honors.

Clemente now has three total points, having earned her first LEAP point after she was named the AJGA Player of the Year in 2024 and picking up her second earlier this season after she finished T30 as a sponsor exemption in the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Clemente could go two-for-two in terms of LEAP points this weekend in The Woodlands, Texas, as she can earn another point if she finishes in the top 25 and ties of the year’s first major championship, what would be her career-best result on the LPGA Tour.

But Clemente is trying hard not to concern herself too much with all of that at this juncture and is instead trying to focus on the already tall order of playing her best golf at the difficult major championship venue that is The Club at Carlton Woods.

“Feels great,” Clemente said about earning another LEAP point. “Definitely not the type of thing that I want to be thinking about on the golf course, but it’s awesome to be able to secure that and maybe get two, depending on how the weekend goes. It feels really good to get that off my plate.”