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07 Apr, 2025
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16-Year-Old Notches Wild Augusta National Feat Masters Field Will be Jealous of
@Source: newsweek.com
Asterisk Talley needs little introduction in the world of golf, and not just because of her unique name. At just 16 years old, Talley has already excelled at the highest amateur level and just did it again at the Augusta National Women's Amateur.The Chowchilla, California, native added another strong performance to her already impressive resume, finishing in a tie for second place, one stroke behind winner Carla Bernat Escuder. But it was another detail that put her in the history books.According to golf statistician Justin Ray, Talley hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation during the final round at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament. Not many professionals, male or female, can boast such a statistic.Her impressive performance on Saturday included a spectacular eagle on the 1st hole, but she then bogeyed the 5th and 6th holes, which were crucial to her final score. Talley rallied for the rest of the round with four birdies and no bogeys in her final 11 holes, but it was not enough to challenge Escuder for the title.In the previous rounds on the Champions Retreat course, Talley had scores of 71 and 66."It's the best," Talley said about how highly she values her result at Augusta National. "It's always going to be the best. I think I'm going to carry this with me throughout the whole year and throughout my whole career. I'm just going to wear that on my sleeve and just take it with me."This was Talley's second appearance in the Augusta National. A year ago, at just 15 years old, she tied for eighth.Talley is ranked number one in the American Junior Golf Association and 14th in the world amateur rankings. She rose to prominence in 2024 with outstanding results in both categories.That year, she finished second in both the U.S. Girls' Junior and U.S. Women's Amateur. Among her wins that season was the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball title, teaming up with Sarah Lim.She also represented the United States in the Curtis Cup and the Junior Solheim Cup. In the former, she contributed 2.5 points in four matches to her team's cause, which ultimately lost to Great Britain and Ireland. At the second event, Talley contributed 1.5 points in three matches to her team's victory.Talley also shared the low amateur award at the US Women's Open, where she tied for 44th."She has an unbelievable amount of drive to win," said Junior Solheim Cup Captain and LPGA Hall of Famer Beth Daniel, according to Golfweek. "and you don't see that in a lot of players. That comes along every once in a while."Despite her extraordinary talent, Talley is determined not to jump into a professional career early, as major champions Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson and Lydian Ko, among others, have done. She wants to play college golf first."I want to go to college," Talley aid. "I think it's going to be a great experience for me. I think it would give me a chance to have a team all the time. I love team play, and I love that environment, and I think it's going to give me a great experience."Currently, Talley is only a high school sophomore, so, she should have at least two more junior seasons ahead of her.More Golf: Jordan Spieth Nearly Throws Club in Disgust after Putrid Valero Texas Open
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