Stadium News
Breaking News from the Bench to the Bleachers
TEEN golf star Asterisk Talley broke down in tears during an interview at Augusta before being consoled by Bryson DeChambeau. The 17-year-old putter is widely considered to be one of…
Everything was going so well for 17-year-old phenom Asterisk Talley during Sunday's final round of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. She then arrived to Amen Corner, and became the latest addition to the long, long list of players who left golf's most famous stretch of holes searching for a prayer.Talley began the final round with a one-shot advantage and made easy work of her opening 10 holes on Sunday, sitting at three-under on the afternoon. Her first bogey came at the Par 4 11th, but still had one hand firmly on the trophy as she stepped to the tee on the Par 3 12th.She would eventually walk off the 12th green with a quadruple bogey seven, suddenly finding herself in a battle to keep her name on the first page of the leader board instead of cruising to the biggest win of her young career.READ: Golf World Makes Excuses For Golfer’s Insane Pre-Shot Routine At Augusta National Women's AmTalley put her tee shot into a back bunker on 12 and proceeded to hit two consecutive shots from the sand trap into the water. It was a difficult moment to watch, and certainly one to live for a teenager on the grandest of stages on the most famous Par 3 on Earth.Talley ultimately finished T-4 in the event, six shots back from winner Maria Jose Marin, who carded an impressive final round 68. To her credit, Talley spoke with the media after not having anywhere close to her best stuff on Sunday, and was understandably emotional while speaking about what had transpired throughout the day and her great support system on and off the golf course. She referred to her quadruple bogey on the 12th as a "little meltdown," proving she wasn't being too hard on herself.Bryson DeChambeau, who hails from California as Talley does, was on the ground of Augusta National on Sunday and chose to hang around after she signed her scorecard and gave her emotional interview. The two-time U.S. Open champion shared some words of wisdom for the young golfer who has quite the future ahead of her."The way it turned out, it’s not going to define her," DeChambeau told The Athletic after he spoke to Talley. "It’s a moment for her to really learn. Obviously, I’ve had difficult moments in my career, and if there’s anything I can do to support her, that’s what I’m here for. That’s why I’m here to support. Obviously, ANWA is a huge event now. It’s really transforming the game, and that’s what really matters here today."Talley also shared that Annika Sorenstam had talked to her after the final round on Sunday, and said that the legend had called her the best player in the field.
There is something about the Augusta National Women’s Amateur that gets you every year. It is not just the setting that helps, though. It is not just the stakes, though those are real. It is the way this championship keeps showing us what elite women’s amateur golf looks like when the lights are ...
For years, the Masters was something you circled for the weekend, found on television and built your day around once the main broadcast came on. That is still true in part, but it is no longer the full picture. In 2026, Augusta week is a full-platform experience. It starts before the tournament ...
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur always seems to reveal something by the end of 36 holes. This year, it has revealed a leader who looks comfortable in the moment and a leaderboard that still feels wide open. Asterisk Talley, last year’s runner-up, heads to Augusta National at 11-under after ...
You don't have to do too much searching to find something to complain about in the golf world. Oftentimes, that something doesn't deserve the amount of criticism it receives, but when pace of play is the topic of conversation, it's fair to throw shade more often than not.However, based on some of the reactions to a recent clip of Bailey Shoemaker's pre-shot routine during the Augusta National Women's Amateur, we're apparently supposed to search for excuses for excruciatingly slow pace.Shoemaker, a junior at USC and the 68th-ranked amateur in the world, finished runner-up in the 2024 ANWA and is making her fifth appearance in the event this week. She posted a 1-over 73 during Wednesday's opening round, and while there is nothing to complain about when it comes to her scorecard, that isn't the case when it comes to her pre-shot routine.A clip of Shoemaker standing over her golf ball for a full 74 seconds before finally making a swing made the rounds on social media, and it's a legitimately uncomfortable watch.As you would imagine, Shoemaker was immediately lit up for taking ages to pull the trigger. Slow play is a very real issue at every level of the game, and Shoemaker's case is no exception, but that didn't stop the excuses for her slow play from being issued. Brentley Romine of Golf Channel reported that Shoemaker had undergone major arm surgery in October 2025, and while she's back to full-strength physically, "she's still fighting a mental battle.""Just trying to reassure myself that there isn’t pain anymore," Shoemaker told Romine. "I’ve been struggling with it for the last four months, just being fully committed to hitting the ball."We can be sympathetic towards Shoemaker battling her way back after undergoing surgery, but we can also say that taking well over a full minute to hit a shot during the most prestigious women's amateur golf tournament on the planet is ludicrous.The viral clip of her pre-shot routine is from just one shot during the opening round. It's fair to assume she didn't take 70-plus seconds standing over every shot – her and her playing partners may still be trying to complete 18 holes – but golf fans and media alike can't have it both ways.If we're going to criticize Brian Harman's infinite waggles or Kevin Na's previous pace of play issues, we can't just not say something about one of the best amateurs in the world taking an eternity over the golf ball.
