Asterisk Talley came in to the final round of 2026 Augusta National Women's Amateur with the lead and a good chance to win, as she looks to become the sixth winner of the amateur event. Even early in her collegiate career, Asterisk Talley could have a huge breakthrough by winning at Augusta National.
Talley is 17 years old, and she is in the field at Augusta National Women's Amateur because of her status in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She is playing in the Augusta National Women's Amateur for the third time, after finishing runner-up last year.
For Talley, her journey to the pinnacle of women's amateur golf is a remarkable story.
Talley was born in Fresco, California, though she lives in Chowchilla, California, and she has accomplished a lot in the game already. She won the US Amateur Women's Four-Ball with partner Sarah Lim in 2024 and was runner-up in 2024 at both the US Girls' Junior Amateur and US Women's Amateur, making her the first player to compete in three USGA championship matches in a single year.
She has won a slew of high-level amateur competitions, and she has committed to playing collegiate golf at Stanford University.
How Asterisk Talley got her first name
Talley is of Greek heritage, so her mother named her daughter Asterisk in that spirit, translating to "little star" in English. (Makes sense when you look at one, right?)
Talley is an elite talent
Asterisk Talley has won at every level, including as an amateur. She has represented the United States on the Junior Solheim Cup and Curtis Cup teams, beating then world No. 1 Lottie Woad in a singles match in the Curtis Cup in England.
Talley is already a three-time Junior All-American, and she played in the US Women's Open in 2014 at the age of 15, when she won low-amateur honors, and again in 2025.
Entering this week, Talley was ranked 9th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
What a win at Augusta National means
With a win today, Talley would earn the benefits of being an Augusta National Women's Amateur winner, including a five-year tournament exemption, including berths into women's major championships. Talley will eventually turn professional, and it may be after this tournament or a season or two in college.
