Teen spirit from Asterisk Talley and Anita Lumpongpoung, who did their hometown proud, was on display at the U.S. Women’s Open
By Adam Schupak
They are the prides of Chowchilla in women’s golf. Not just teen sensation Asterisk Talley qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open in June 4-7, but so too did Anita Lumpongpoung.
By winning medalist honors as the only player in the 67-player field to finish under par for 36 holes at the Richmond Country Club final qualifier on May 11, Asterisk, 17, qualified for her third U.S. Women’s Open. Anita shot even par, and her performance earned her the second and final qualifying spot.
“I kind of surprised myself with that,” Anita told NBC’s KSEE-TV. “My friend was caddying for me (at the qualifier), and she was like, ‘you’re in’, and I was like, ‘what!’”
Two teen sensations hailing from a small farming town – population 18,722 and located in Madera County’s “Gateway to Prosperity” between Fresno and Merced – who da thunk it? “It’s crazy, right?” Anita said.
A rising senior in high school, Asterisk said it was special to play in The Golden State for the first time in her national championship at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
“I was really hoping to qualify for this one because it was in California," she said. "Once I qualified, I was like, I'm here and I'm going to enjoy it."
Asterisk enjoyed a two-week stint in the City of Angels as she also stuck around to compete in the Curtis Cup at Bel-Air Country Cup. She previously starred in her Curtis Cup debut at Sunningdale in 2024, defeating then-No.1-ranked amateur Lottie Woad in Sunday singles. Asterisk opened 2026 with victories at the Fortinet Stanford Invitational and the Girls’ Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in South Carolina, and in 2025 captured the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship. Since 2024, she has represented her country in the Curtis Cup, Junior Solheim Cup and Junior Ryder Cup. She also shared low amateur honors in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club. This time, she made the cut on the number with rounds of the 71-75, one of five amateurs to do so, including fellow NorCal native Kiara Romero. [Older sister, Kaleiya, 23, a pro on the Epson Tour, made the cut too, with brother, Kyreece, on the bag.]
Then Asterisk went out and posted a bogey-free, 5-under 66 in the third round — the lowest weekend round by an amateur in U.S. Women’s Open history and the lowest round in any women’s major in 21 years (Louise Stahle, 2005 Women’s British Open).
"The hole was just so big, I mean, I couldn't miss," said Asterisk, who closed in 74 and finished T-22.
Anita, who turned 16 on June 14, was the second youngest player in the field, two months older than Chinese-Taipei's Jie-En Lin. Anita lives close to Asterisk, and is homeschooled too. Even though Anita’s hometown is listed on scoreboards and pairing sheets as Thailand, she’s been a resident of Chowchilla for the past four years. Her family moved there so she could practice and play at Madera Golf and Country Club, and develop into a future professional either on the LPGA Tour or in Asia under the watchful eye of famed Central Valley teaching pro Mike Schy, who helped Bryson DeChambeau reach stardom and previously counted Asterisk as one of his pupils.
Anita’s family owned a Thai restaurant in the Bay Area that they closed and moved to Chowchilla, which was more affordable. They opened a restaurant in Madera and have one in San Luis Obispo as well. Mom runs the restaurants while dad takes Anita everywhere that she plays golf.
Following a three-year reign at the top, Asterisk passed the torch as JTNC Girls’ Player of the Year to Anita last year. She’s trying to follow in her footsteps in more ways than one. Anita won the 2025 AJGA Junior at Copper Valley and the Mizuno West Coast Classic, and advanced to the round of 16 at last year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior. She also finished T-7 at the Sacramento Junior Championship.
“She’s quiet. I get about six words out of her every time I work with her,” Schy said. “But her clubs can do the talking for her. She’s not quite at Asterisk’s level but she’s getting there and developing into a good putter.”
Anita shot 74-77 and missed the cut in her Open debut but the future appears bright for not one but both of the prides of Chowchilla.