Amateur Gianna Clemente made the most of her first time competing in Asia last week at the Honda LPGA Thailand, finishing in a tie for 30th to not only earn her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour but also pick up her second point in the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway program standings.

Even though she has teed it up in seven LPGA Tour events in the past, most notably Monday Qualifying for three straight tournaments as a 14-year-old back in 2022, Clemente had yet to play competitively in Asia, making the week in Thailand a brand-new experience for the teenager, who has already played at some of the most iconic venues in all of golf throughout the course of her young career.

And the Honda LPGA Thailand also served as a great opportunity for Clemente to have her dad, Patrick, carry her bag, something that helped the 16-year-old feel comfortable playing in a foreign country as far away from home as she had ever been.

“They reached out to me, and I was just so excited when I first saw that email. I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds so fun.’ It's something that I didn't expect to do this year,” said Clemente before play began in Thailand. “I said last year I wanted to start traveling overseas more, and I wanted to start to play more international events, and I have a couple of other ones this year as well, so this was great experience.

“I think LPGA experience in general is really good for me. I'm trying to get as many exemptions as I can right now and trying to get all the experience. It's also really fun for me and my dad. Anytime that he can caddie, it's always a good time. It doesn't feel super tense or I'm never super nervous.”

Clemente got off to a bit of a slow start on Thursday at Siam Country Club’s Old Course, carding a quiet, 1-over 73 after making three bogeys and two birdies on holes seven and 18. But she didn’t get rattled and came out swinging in round two, posting a 4-under 68 with three bogeys and seven birdies on her scorecard, three of which came in her last four holes on 15, 17 and 18.

“(Thursday) was a bit rough. I just didn't make as many putts as I wanted to,” said Clemente on Friday. “I missed a couple of really important putts yesterday, so I spent quite a lot of time on the putting green yesterday. I got something figured out. I had 24 putts today, so I just kind of got the putts rolling really early. It was just easy out from there.”

Gianna Clemente

Saturday saw a steady effort from the Estero, Fla. native, as Clemente made one bogey, two birdies and 15 pars to card a 1-under 71 on Moving-Day, a third-round score that put the 16-year-old into a tie for 39th with 18 holes to go. She then wrapped up her week with a 3-under 69 after making one bogey and four birdies on Sunday at the Honda LPGA Thailand to finish in the middle of the pack in a field that had 70 professionals competing, now her career-low result on the LPGA Tour.

“Just such a different experience for me and my dad. We've had so much fun,” Clemente said following the final round. “The resort is so beautiful, and the entire week, all the fans and the people here are so kind and so supportive. It’s been so fun for us to experience something new.”

Her performance also earned Clemente her second point in the new LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway program, also known as “LEAP.” LEAP gives amateur athletes an opportunity to earn LPGA Tour Membership via a points system that is weighted based on the various accolades they have accrued in both the current year and three prior seasons. A player must collect 20 total points to secure the Tour status offered through LEAP.

Clemente’s first point was awarded after she won AJGA Girls Rolex Player of the Year honors in 2024, and she then grabbed another point with her T30 result at the 2025 Honda LPGA Thailand, as T40 or better finishes in official LPGA Tour tournaments are worth one LEAP point. While the initiative is only in its debut season, Clemente is feeling positive about the opportunities LEAP could provide as she develops in her amateur career and was happy to have put another tally on the board in Thailand.

“It's super important I think for not just my own (future), but for all the girls coming up behind me as well,” Clemente said. “I think it's going to be great for amateurs in golf, and it's going to give us a little bit of an advantage. I think it's necessary for us. I think it's really good progress for amateurs.”

But LEAP isn’t the only opportunity for amateurs with professional aspirations that Clemente will be trying to take full advantage of throughout the 2025 season. As one of the top ams in the United States, Clemente was named to the U.S. Elite Amateur Program by the USGA earlier this year and will again be a part of the U.S. National Development Program for the second straight season, albeit in a slightly different way.

She was a member of the first U.S. National Junior Team last year, a group of young female and male athletes who were considered some of the best junior players in the country and for whom the USGA wanted to provide additional resources so as to ensure their success at the next level, whether it be in the collegiate or professional ranks.

However, considering how well Clemente’s game has progressed, growth evidenced by her strong showings in various levels of championships in recent years, and considering her goal of playing on the LPGA Tour one day, the 16-year-old was selected by the USGA to participate in the new U.S. Elite Amateur Program and is the youngest athlete on the inaugural 2025 team. Despite her youth, though, Clemente is looking forward to further sharpening her skills as she makes the transition from high-level junior to high-level amateur golf, a jump she is excited to take after an incredibly successful junior career.

“It's a great opportunity for me. I'm glad that they wanted to put me on that team instead of the junior,” Clemente said in Thailand. “I've definitely started to move out of junior golf a little bit and more into the amateur space. I've played AJGAs and junior events for four years now, so at some point, you have to move on and advance your game to a different level.

“I think that's a really good change for me. As much as I’ll miss my friends on the junior team, I think it's the best for what I want for my future.”

But for now, Clemente has a couple of weeks off to rest and reflect on her early-year performance at the Honda LPGA Thailand before she starts preparing for The Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in late March and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in early April.

And Clemente will surely be carrying plenty of confidence from her T30 showing in Asia with her to those next two tournaments, knowing that no matter what happens either week, she has proven that she has enough game to hang with some of the best players in the world.

Amateur Gianna Clemente Earns LEAP Point While Competing in Asia for First Time at Honda LPGA Thailand

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