Carmel Valley 8th grader Kai Molina is one of only two boys chosen to represent the United States in September at the Amundi Evian Juniors Cup in France. Held every year at the the iconic Evian Resort Golf Club, site of one of the four LPGA major championships— Amundi Evian Championships, the tournament features the best junior golfers under the age of 14 from countries around the world to compete for both team and individual titles. Golf superstars such as Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Rose Zhang all represented the United States to compete in this tournament when they were under 14. The 2025 Team USA is led by captain and former LPGA champion Laura Diaz, alongside team coach Lauren Golden of the LPGA. In addition to Kai, the two boy and two girl team includes Ryan Hooker of Virginia, and Kelly Zhang and Carolina Gao of Northern California. In the United States, team members are selected based on a combination of their American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Rolex Rankings and Junior Golf Scoreboard standings. Kai has maintained the No. 1 position in the AJGA Rolex Rankings for players under 14 since August 2024—a distinction he still holds as of today. Two years ago, Kai represented the United States at the U.S. Kids Golf European Championship in Scotland, where he won the championship for boys 11 age group. Commenting on his Instagram page, Kai said: “I’m so incredibly honored to be on Team USA. And it’s truly humbling to be competing in the same event that Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Rose Zhang have also represented the U.S. to compete in when they were under 14. “I always admired athletes who get to wear red, white and blue from afar, and dreamed that one day I’d get to do the same. Never thought that this day would come so soon. Hard work does pay! Keep dreaming, and keep working hard! “I’m looking forward to an incredible week of learning, building camaraderie, competing and making memories of a life time with my teammates and coach.” Follow Kai and Team USA’s journey on Kai’s Instagram page @kai.the.ironguy.