Latest news with #Girls'Junior
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Yealimi Noh, who stuck with the broomstick putter, is tied for lead at U.S. Women's Open
Yealimi Noh, who stuck with the broomstick putter, is tied for lead at U.S. Women's Open ERIN, Wis. — It's been about two years since Yealimi Noh switched to a broomstick putter. Both her father and coach suggested that she give it a try after several months of struggling with the yips. 'I didn't know what to do, and I just needed something completely different,' said Noh, who holds a share of the first-round lead at the 80th U.S. Women's Open after an opening 4-under 68. Noh is one of four players who finished a mostly calm morning wave knotted at the top of the board. She's joined by 2020 U.S. Women's Open champ A Lim Kim, hotshot rookie Rio Takeda and the promising young South Korean, Jinhee Im. The yips have been a hot topic this week as former No. 1 Yani Tseng is here putting left-handed. Noh actually tried that too a few weeks ago just by chance on the practice putting green. 'I was like, oh it's actually better than you think,' she said. 'It's not as crazy as it looks.' Noh, who holed out for eagle from 42 yards on the par-5 14th, took 28 putts in the opening round with the L.A.B. putter that helped turn around her game. Noh ranked 130th in putts per green in regulation on tour in 2022 and 102nd in 2023. She finished last season ranked 30th in putts per GIR. In February, Noh won for the first time on the LPGA in her 111th career start at the Founders Cup. The victory boosted her confidence and took 'a lot of pressure off my back.' California's Noh actually has some good history here in Wisconsin, where she reports that she's enjoying her cheese. After turning professional at age 17 without status on any tour, the former U.S. Girls' Junior champ Monday-qualified her way into the 2019 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. After opening rounds of 63-65, Noh found herself in the final pairing. 'I don't think I could have started my career any better,' said Noh of her first LPGA start, which resulted in a top 10. She was supremely confident and fearless back then, blissfully unaware of how cruel the game can become. Now, at age 23, she's already wise enough to be grateful for the speedbumps that led her to the first-round lead of a major. Other players asked to try out her long putter before she won a tournament and rose to No. 18 in the world, and these days, it happens on a weekly basis. 'Some players have already asked me about it,' said Noh, 'can I try it again? I'm like you asked me this a couple months ago. Now they're like, oh, can I like try it, try it?' Should she go on to win this week at Erin Hills, long putters might become all the rage.
USA Today
16-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Why Asterisk Talley has 'less pressure' playing LPGA event than last time she played El Cab
Why Asterisk Talley has 'less pressure' playing LPGA event than last time she played El Cab Asterisk Talley will have more energy this week at El Caballero Country Club than the last time she teed it up there. Last summer, Talley made the final of the U.S. Golf Association's U.S. Girls' Junior, falling to Rianne Malixi in the 36-hole final. In addition to two rounds of stroke play, Talley played seven rounds of match play, and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, there were two matches per day, with the championship taking place on Saturday. In total, the now-16-year-old Talley played 154 holes of golf that week, significantly less than she will at this week's LPGA JM Eagle LA Championship. "Definitely tiring at the U.S. Girls', getting to play like 11 rounds in a week," Talley said of her experience that week. "But it's always fun playing here. Such a great course, and I'm excited to be here again and have a little less pressure, not playing 36 in a day or anything." A professional event providing less pressure than a junior one may seem crazy to most amateurs, but not to Talley. She was also a finalist at the U.S. Women's Amateur three weeks after her runner-up finish at the Girls' Junior, again falling to Malixi in the final. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball earlier in the summer and the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. As if her resume wasn't impressive enough, Talley tied low am honors at the U.S. Women's Open and was on the U.S. Curtis Cup team, topping world No. 1 amateur Lottie Woad in Sunday Singles. And two weeks ago, she finished runner-up at the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Now, she's in the field at the LA Championship on a sponsor exemption, taking Malixi's spot after she was forced to withdraw from a back injury that also saw her pull out of ANWA. "It's great to get more experience; super grateful for the invite and getting to play here again," Talley said. "I love playing here. This is a great course. It's good to have some course knowledge, experience here. It's just great to have just a drive down to this event and get another start under my belt." Talley, whose first name means "little star" in Greek, has become one of the brightest stars in amateur golf in recent years. At ANWA, she talked about her interest in playing college golf, and every single team in the country will try to recruit Talley, but she has plenty of time before then and now. Her confidence stands out on the golf course. Even last year when she was breaking onto the scene, she had the mental maturity of a savvy veteran, and she constantly finds her way to the top of leaderboards, whether she's playing an LPGA event or amongst the best amateurs in the world. "I think I'm pretty confident coming off a couple of good tournaments this year already and just knowing I've played events like this before and I've done well enough to compete with these players," Talley said. "I just try to treat every tournament the same and not put one above the other or anything." In addition to playing the LA Championship this week, Talley is one of eight amateurs in the field next week at the first women's major championship of the year, the Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas. Talley is becoming a frequent face and name at the biggest events in women's golf. Don't expect that to change anytime soon. "Just knowing that I've got more comfortable with these types of players, that even in amateur golf there is players that are better than like what people think I am," Talley said. "People think that I don't measure up, I think, to people that are here and in other amateur events. "I think I'm trying to prove my game every week to show how good I am in my eyes and how in other people's eyes as well. I just think it's great to get experience and to prove myself and build my confidence in these events and bring that with me to other events I play in in the future."
