Asterisk Talley Wins 2026 US Women’s Amateur At The Honors Course

Aug 10, 2026 08:34 PM - 1 hour ago 1

U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally - Round Three

Asterisk Talley defeated Japan’s Anna Iwanaga 8 and 6 to declare the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur astatine The Honors Course successful Ooltewah, Tennessee. Despite rocky upwind successful the Tennessee area complete the week which brought galore thunderstorms and upwind delays connected 5 consecutive days to The Honors Course, Talley remained resilient and took location the win. The triumph is Talley’s first U.S. Women’s Amateur triumph successful her 3rd U.S. Women’s Amateur start.

Talley, the 17-year aged from California who entered the week arsenic the number 8-ranked amateur according to the World Amateur Golf Rankings, jumped retired to an early lead winning the first hole, but Iwanaga was not to beryllium deterred, tying the lucifer connected the 3rd hole, some competitors winning their respective holes pinch pars. From thereon, it would beryllium reliable to triumph holes pinch pars pinch some Iwanaga and Talley swapping leads pinch ties pinch Iwanaga being 1 up connected Talley aft the ninth hole.

With her dada connected the bag, Talley would spell connected to birdie the 11th spread to tie, past make 2 much birdies connected the 12th and 13th holes to spell 2 up. From there, Talley did not look back, making 8 much birdies until yet taking the lucifer 8 and 6 aft the 30th hole.

Talley’s triumph came aft immoderate disappointing tourney finishes earlier successful her career. Making her 3rd commencement astatine the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) earlier this year, Talley began her 3rd information successful the last pairing but changeable a 3rd information 75, leaving her successful a disappointing T4 finish.

On her win, “This beautiful overmuch completes my amateur career,” Talley said. “This is 1 of the biggest events to ever win, truthful I deliberation this is going to beryllium the apical of my database from now on.” It’s unclear if Talley intends to stay an amateur aliases make the modulation to statesman a master career.

On really she approached dealing pinch the weather, Talley said “I deliberation conscionable staying calm. Sometimes you tin overthink a small spot aliases get a small stressed during that. I deliberation conscionable staying calm and knowing it was the correct timing passim the full point really kept america calm and good.”

Iwanaga was gracious successful defeat. "I'm rather happy and I’ll study a batch from this,” said Iwanaga. “It's immense to travel to play USGA events. I [also] played pinch Asterisk successful March successful Junior Invitational. So I saw her successful March and she's awesome player, truthful bully to compete again pinch her.”

With her runner-up finish, Iwanaga receives a three-year exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She besides receives a spot arsenic an amateur successful the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open.

With Talley’s win, she receives the JoAnne Carner Medal and gets to support the Robert Cox Trophy for 1 twelvemonth and an exemption into the adjacent 10 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. She besides receives an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open (as either a master aliases amateur), and apt exemptions into a number of the 2027 Women’s awesome play championships including the 2027 Chevron Championship, Amundi Evian Championship, and AIG Women’s Open.