Teenager Asterisk Talley takes her late caddie switch in stride, and an eagle lifts her into ANWA contention

EVANS, Ga. — Asterisk Talley was in need of a caddie just days before the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She originally had top-ranked amateur golfer Miles Russell set to be on the bag, but when he got into this week’s Lecom Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour after a T-15 last week in Savannah, Talley and her family pivoted. They didn’t have to panic. They simply phoned a friend.

Talley got Ryan Zak to caddie for her. He's known the Talleys for a long time and has been on the teenager’s bag many times before, including at last year’s ANWA, when Talley finished runner-up to Carla Bernat Escuder.

Their partnership is working well once again. Talley shot a bogey-free six-under 66 and is tied for third, one shot back of leaders Maria Jose Marin and Soomin Oh after Wednesday’s first round at the Champions Retreat.

The 17-year-old phenom from Chowchilla, Calif. is in great position after 18 holes in her third ANWA start. Talley is in her comfort zone, especially with Zak, whose plans for the week changed merely from spectator mode to caddie.

“I did it last year, so I was prepared. I brought what I needed to be prepared in the event something happened. I didn’t think it was going to, and I came out to hang out,” Zak said. “Dad [James] knows I’m on standby whenever they need me, that’s what I told them years ago. They were kind enough to invite me out to be a fan. My vacation got cut short by a few days. I got put to work. It’s been great.”

Talley’s seamless caddie change was surely a relief on many levels, both in course knowledge and demeanor. Zak gave Talley a couple of tips with her stance in the bunker on 18th hole (her ninth of the round), where she blasted out and into the cup for an eagle to complete an ANWA record of 31 for the first nine holes of the tournament.

“He’s just pretty chill,” Talley said. “I like a caddie who is helpful, but not too pushy, and I think he's great at finding the middle in that. He knows that I know how to play golf and what I do need help with. He knows my dad really well, and he kind of tells him what I'm working on, so I think they kind of [collaborate] in that. Then he obviously knows the course since he caddied last year, so I mean, we're just having some fun out there.”

Talley has been having fun playing golf, which makes sense when you’re playing well. She got off to a fast start, with three birdies and an eagle on her front nine.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Zak said of a replay of the bunker shot at 18. “We could barely see it from her vantage point. We knew it went in, but I’d like to see it how it rolled out and what the pace was. Didn’t see all that. It’s always cool when something drops for an eagle. I asked her when the last time she holed out from the bunker and she couldn’t remember, so it was pretty special to do it here.”

A Stanford commit and World Amateur No. 9, Talley finished T-29 in the LPGA’s Ford Championship last week, playing on a sponsor’s exemption. She shot a second-round 65 and was in the top 10 after 36 holes, but finished with a final-round 74. Leading up to that, Talley, the No. 1 ranked girl in the AJGA, won her three previous junior tournaments.

She’s a different player here at Champions Retreat than a couple years ago, and she’s finished in the top 10 in each of her previous two ANWA starts. Last year, she closed with a final-round 68 at Augusta National Golf Club and lost to Escuder by a single shot.

“I'm definitely hitting it a lot farther, so it makes the course a little shorter and more accessible,” Talley said. “But also mature, just knowing that I don't have to go for every flag. Honestly, that's just putting me in better positions on every hole and just knowing that I don't need to hit it to five feet every time. I hit it to 20 feet every time on [her second nine], and I shot one-under. So it wasn't too bad out there.”

Her 66 on Wednesday was five shots better than her opening round last year, when she shot 66 in the second round.

“It’s pretty crucial just knowing that scores are going to be low here and just knowing that someone is going to catch fire at least one of the days,” Talley said. “I think shooting low is pretty much a need to have a good position going into Augusta and honestly just going into [Thursday] too.”

Talley was considered a favorite to win before the tournament began and even more so after her impressive first round, even though that’s not a label she wears this week.

“I don't really like to think of myself as a favorite. I think of everyone in this field is a favorite,” Talley said. “Everyone here is pretty good. So, I'm just trying to put myself in a good position for the rest of the field and trying to play my best golf.”

As for Russell, he already messaged Talley before she got to post-round interviews Wednesday. “He texted me ‘good round today,’" Talley said. “He is supportive since we're friends, but., you know, I'm excited for him to get to play this week. I'm wishing him luck tomorrow, and I'm sure he'll be doing the same.”