Asterisk Talley of California, 17, secured the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship at The Honors Course in Ootelah, Tennessee on Sunday, posting a decisive 8-and-6 victory over Japan’s Anna Iwanaga. The win marks Talley’s second USGA title before completing her high school career.
Iwanaga, who earned medalist honors during the 36-hole qualifying round, began the match strongly and held a 1-up lead after winning the ninth hole in the morning round. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in Talley’s favor from that point onward. Talley squared the match with a birdie on the 11th hole, then birdied the following two holes to take control. She concluded the morning 18 holes with a 3-up advantage.
Talley continued her dominance in the afternoon session, winning the opening hole and further extending her lead. A pivotal moment came on the par-5 11th hole during the afternoon round—the 29th hole of the 36-hole match—when Talley chipped in for an eagle to reach a 7-up lead. She subsequently two-putted for par on the 12th hole to secure the match.
Talley attributed her strong performance to consistent play and mistake avoidance, noting she recorded only one bogey throughout the entire competition. She is the runner-up at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2025, though she struggled this year at that event with a quadruple-bogey 7 on a par-3. Talley has committed to play college golf at Stanford next year following her high school graduation. Her U.S. Women’s Amateur victory qualifies her for the U.S. Women’s Open next year at Inverness Club in Ohio. Her other USGA title came in 2024 when she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball.
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