Asterisk Talley won her first U.S. Women’s Amateur championship this week with an incredible 8&6 victory over Anna Iwanaga. In an already impressive amateur career, this was the defining moment so far.
If you follow women’s golf, this likely isn’t the first time you’ve heard of the 17-year-old from Chowchilla, California. Talley has been arguably the most prominent amateur name in the sport for awhile. Talley already has a win in the U.S. Women’s Amateur four-ball, had a previous runner-up finish at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, finished runner-up at the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, was the low amateur at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open, has played on two Curtis Cup teams and was in control Sunday this year at the ANWA before struggles hit on the back nine.
Heck, this year alone she has made five starts on the LPGA Tour and made the cut four times with two top-25 finishes.
This was a true defining win for Talley though, who will go on to play collegiate golf at Stanford after she wraps up her final year as a junior in the coming months.
Speaking from experience watching, the game is absolutely there. While players like Farah O’Keefe and Kiara Romero were the most impressive standouts at the 2026 Curtis Cup, they have collegiate experience and a few years overall on Talley. Despite that, Talley’s talent really showed through.
I followed Talley and Romero throughout much of their first match on Friday, one where they dominated much of the round, and Talley was the one that really flashed. She possesses every skill that is rare to see even from the best players on the professional level.
Talley more than held her own on distance, again, with less age than many of her counterparts. She could hit timely, clutch putts and perhaps most impressive was her ability on the approach shots. During that round, she hit many of the best shots I saw all week, sticking it within 10 feet of the pin on a consistent basis. She looked the part immediately.
More than likely, Talley will enter the LPGA Tour with a wealth of experience that most players don’t have. She will continue getting sponsor’s exemptions throughout her time as an amateur, like she will this week at the Standard Portland Classic.
At Stanford, Talley should thrive, particularly in her sophomore season, where she will be joined by Aphrodite Deng and Clairey Lin. Lin is the No. 2 ranked junior in the world and Deng has a resumé that could almost challenge Talley’s. Coach Anne Walker builds powerhouse rosters, and this might be her best one yet, but she also does a great job at player development.
Talley will also get more Curtis Cup experience, playing on at least one more squad in all likelihood. She should be the leader of that team in 2028 that goes to Scotland to defend the title that Talley herself had a huge part in winning this year, where she went 3-2 on the week and played all five matchups.
Talley should absolutely breeze through the LPGA Tour LEAP standings, where she is over halfway to getting the 20 necessary points before even starting her college career. She likely won’t make it all the way through her senior year, but the time she spends for the Cardinal should be must watch.
The sky is the limit for the player whose unique name means “little star.” That name likely won’t hurt her star power, as she instantly has joined the likes of athletes known by just one name, and this one is super memorable.
It has felt like Talley is the future of American women’s golf for awhile. This week stamped that in permanent ink.
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