For 17-year-old Asterisk Talley, Saturday suppose be the day wey everything come together. The young golfer from Chowchilla, California, dey lead the Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament by one shot. She don play clean, clean golf for three days, no single mistake at all. Her game dey sharp like razor.
But Augusta National na different kind of beast. The 12th hole for Amen Corner, that small par-3 wey dey give even the best players nightmare, just wait for am. The wind dey blow anyhow. Talley take her shot, aim for the green. The ball fly go left side. Then, *crack!* The sound loud wella from behind the green. Her ball hit the bush and bounce enter sand bunker for back.
From there, wahala start. Her shot from the bunker roll pass the hole, roll down the slope, and *plop!* Enter water. Na quadruple-bogey seven wey she card for that hole. From number one position, she just drop go four shots behind Maria Jose Marin. The tears just dey flow from her eye as she walk comot from the 18th green.
Legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam and big man Bryson DeChambeau come meet am try console her. Sorenstam, wey win ten major championships, tell am say she na the best player for the ground. “Her telling me I’m the best player out here is pretty special,” Talley talk later. DeChambeau, wey come from California area near Talley own, stay back give am support. “The way it turned out, it’s not going to define her,” DeChambeau yarn. “It’s a moment for her to really learn.”
Before that 12th hole disaster, Talley dey on fire. She don play rounds of 66 and 67 for Champions Retreat, the course wey host the first two rounds of the ANWA. She even start Saturday morning with birdie for three of her first four holes. Her game dey perfect. No blemish at all. Then the bogey for hole 11 come, and everything just scatter.
After the water trouble for hole 12, Talley try drop ball and play again. But the sand bunker give her wahala. “Of course, when you drop, your ball sits down in the bunker. The same thing happened. Just couldn’t really get under the ball there,” she explain. She eventually make that dreaded 7, and her lead vanish like smoke.
Maria Jose Marin, wey eventually win the title, talk say Talley dey play incredible golf. “She was playing incredible golf, and she played incredible golf for — in all of Champions Retreat and for the first 11 holes here at Augusta,” Marin talk. Talley end the back nine with 42 strokes, finish with final-round 75 and tie for fourth place with four other players.
Talley find her papa, James, for after the round and just bury her face for his shoulder. The small crowd wey gather watch as she try hold back tears. “I’m just a little emotional, not only because I didn’t get it done today, but also just everyone is so supportive,” she talk. “It’s hard when they have to watch that and see you not do well or not accomplish what you wanted.”
Even with the pain, the young star try keep her head high. “Still just kind of kept my head high heading into the last few holes. It just didn’t work out, but that’s OK,” she say. The ANWA tournament dey transform women golf, and players like Talley dey show say the future bright. But for now, the memory of that 12th hole go follow am for some time.
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