The best women’s golfers in the world are battling at the 80th U.S. Women’s Open this weekend — a tournament often described as the “toughest test in golf.” Flying in the face of that challenge, 14 teenagers will tee it up at Erin Hills Golf Club in Wisconsin on Thursday, May 29. Three of them are just 16 years old.
Who are the teens competing with the pros?
They’re showing off not only the golf skills to compete with players twice their age, but also sounding more mature — and more competitive — than most girls their age. Asterisk Talley, 16, made her debut at the U.S. Open last year in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
She recently talked about the mental side of the game and dealing with frustration when things go wrong.
“(I’m) just trying to figure out how I can deal with those things on the course,” Talley said. “Especially on things like this, where everyone is watching you and everyone is judging how you play and how you bounce back from things like that — so just trying to control your mindset and trying to have a good mindset throughout the whole round.”
Talley shared low-amateur honors one year ago at Lancaster Country Club, finishing tied for 44th place in her tournament debut. Jude Lee, 17, has taken in all the advice she can get from her fellow California native.
“Just staying in the present is really big,” Lee said. “Golf is a game played between the ears, and just staying in the present, not getting ahead of yourself and not thinking about the past — that’s crucial.“
What are the pitfalls some young players may face?
Being coached and playing in tournaments at a very young age is also crucial to making it to this level so early. Lexi Thompson became the youngest golfer to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Open in 2007 when she made her debut at age 12.
She had great success during her career, with 15 professional wins and one major title, but there was a toll. Before last year’s U.S. Open, Thompson announced her semi-retirement from professional golf at age 29, partly citing her mental health struggles over the years.
“Since I was 12, as a golfer, my life has been a whirlwind of constant attention, scrutiny and pressure,” Thompson said in 2024. “The cameras are always on, capturing every swing and every moment on and off the golf course. Social media never sleeps, with comments and criticisms flooding in from around the world. It can be exhausting maintaining a smile on the outside while grappling with struggles on the inside.”
What are some of the other veterans saying?
Thompson will return to play in her 19th U.S. Open on Thursday, May 29. Also competing this week is Lydia Ko, who was ranked No. 1 in the world at 17 years old, the youngest ever. That was back in 2015, but if she wins this week, she’ll complete the career grand slam. She often talks to teenagers about playing on this stage at such a young age.
“It’s honestly so impressive,” Ko said. “I played with one of the players and I said, ‘Wow, you should be playing the same tees as me.’ I think she shot a better score than me. It’s impressive. Age is just a number. My caddy and I were joking — when you’re that young, you’re almost fearless. You go for every pin. You’re a lot more aggressive.”
NBC golf analyst Kay Cockerill, during a pre-tournament segment on the teenage phenoms, said she sees a learning curve that is “a lot quicker” than it was nearly four decades ago when she was among the dominant players.
“A lot of these kids are just fearless, that bomb the ball, and they’re just so hyper-competitive and so focused,” Cockerill said. “That’s why we’re seeing them play at such high levels.”
Technology has also helped even the playing field. If you’re wondering how long a 16-year-old girl can drive the ball, Talley’s average distance off the tee is around 270 yards.
