Asterisk Talley Captures 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Title

Seventeen-year-old Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, secured the 126th U.S. Women’s Amateur championship at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee. In the 36-hole final she defeated Japan’s Anna Iwanaga by a margin of 8 and 6, ending the match on the 30th hole with six holes still to play. Talley’s performance featured nine birdies and an eagle, and she built a three-stroke lead after the morning 18 before extending it to eight holes by the afternoon’s conclusion.

ESPNAsterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout KMPH - Fox 26Fresno BeeNo. 1-ranked Asterisk Talley vs. co-medalist Anna Iwanaga in U.S. Women’s Am final GOLF Magazine

Talley entered as the nation’s No. 1-ranked junior and a Stanford recruit. The win followed runner-up finishes at the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur and a costly quadruple bogey at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April 2026. Earlier in 2024 she helped Team USA recapture the Curtis Cup and won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball with Sarah Lim.

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Talley’s match-play run began with a 4 & 3 win over Makayla Grübb, then 6 & 4 over Rayee Feng and 3 & 2 over Rachel Lee. In the quarterfinals she survived a 19-hole playoff against 14-year-old Maggie Ma. After weather-forced suspensions in the semifinals, she defeated Lily Peng 6 & 4 on Sunday morning and closed with the 8 & 6 triumph over Iwanaga.

Asterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout

• Final margin: 8 and 6 (30 holes)

Asterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout

• Birdies in final: 9; Eagles: 1

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• Total competitive holes over the final two days: 74

Asterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout

• U.S. Women’s Amateur career record: 11-2

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• USGA match-play record: 24-6

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Talley described the win as the culmination of her amateur career. Her father, Jim Talley, who caddied every hole, said having him on the bag allowed her to “talk through every shot” and that the moment was “really special” for both of them.

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The championship awards Talley the Robert Cox Trophy and exemptions into the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open at Inverness Club and the next ten U.S. Women’s Amateurs, provided she remains eligible. The win also positions her for invitations to other majors ahead of her collegiate career at Stanford.

Asterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout

• 2024: Runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur; wins Four-Ball with Sarah Lim; contributes to Curtis Cup victory.

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• 2025: Runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

ESPN

• April 2026: Quadruple bogey at Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

GOLF Magazine

• June 2026: Ties for 22nd at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Asterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout

• Late Summer 2026: Wins the U.S. Women’s Amateur, securing the Robert Cox Trophy and major exemptions.

Asterisk Talley Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur in 8-and-6 Rout