Asterisk Talley takes #ANNIKAInvUSA lead after round two

Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, leads the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex with a 36-hole score of 6-under-par 136.

The 54-hole stroke play event is bringing together the top-72 female junior golfers from around the world to compete at Heathrow Country Club this week. The event hosted by the ANNIKA Foundation and AJGA is celebrating its 17th anniversary in 2025. The weekend includes a clinic put on by Annika Sorenstam for the field on Sunday as well as a fireside chat between ANNIKA Foundation ambassadors Caley McGinty, Kajsa Arwefjäll and host Annika.

The champion of this event will earn two coveted exemptions:

• LPGA: Entry into the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club.

• Epson Tour: A spot in the Otter Creek Championship in June.

Talley’s round started with a par on the par-4 No. 10. She made birdies on the par-5 No. 11, par-4 No. 14, and par-5 No. 16. Despite two bogeys before making the turn on a windy and rainy day, the No. 1 ranked player in the Rolex AJGA Rankings rallied with birdies on the par-4 No. 7 and par-5 No. 8 to finish with a 3-under-par 68.

Defending champion Natalie Yen of West Linn, Oregon, holds solo second place at 4-under-par 138. The Texas A&M University commit carded seven birdies to trail Talley by two heading into the final round. The two-time Rolex Junior All-American, ranked No. 4 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, is aiming to claim her second AJGA Invitational victory.

The two-time Rolex Junior All-American is ranked No. 4 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and is looking to claim her second AJGA Invitational win.

Clairey Lin of Palos Verdes Estates, California, Gahui Kim of (South Korea) Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida and Amber Lee of Alta Loma, California, are all tied for third at 1-under-par 141.

The final round will take place at Heathrow Country Club on Monday, January 19, with tee times off Nos. 1 and 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.