At just 16, Bend’s Asia Young is already competing among the top amateur golfers in the world. Last week, Young competed in the 125th USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in Bandon Dunes, finishing in the top 32 and demonstrating she can play with the world’s best amateurs on one of the nation’s most challenging courses.
Young survived the grueling two-day stroke-play portion of the championship on Aug. 4-5, including a scorching back-nine round of 30 on the second day on an unusually calm day at the notoriously windy Bandon Dunes Golf Course. Her stroke play success allowed her to advance to the do-or-die match play portion, where she won her first match 1-up on the 17th hole. Her streak ended in the round of 32 on Aug. 7 when she fell to Lyla Louderbaugh, who will be a junior at the University of Kansas this fall.
“Overall, it was a successful week and I can take a lot of confidence from how I played. I competed against the best amateurs in the world, and I felt like I could go toe to toe with them,” Young said. “I also saw some areas where I can improve and get a lot better.”
After being eliminated in the round of 32, Young felt a wave of emotions. “But mostly I felt motivated. I know I belong at this level and I also know the areas that need improvement to reach my goals,” she said.
On Sunday Aug. 10, Stanford University’s Megha Ganne defeated recent Michigan State graduate Brooke Biermann to win the championship.
A Breakout Championship Season
Young has been on a tear in the past 12 months — competing in eight American Junior Golf Association tournaments, winning two and finishing in the top 14 in all but one. Before this week’s championship, Young ranked 18th in the AJGA.
In May, Young and fellow Oregonian Natalie Yen won the USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in Oklahoma, one of the most prestigious amateur events in the nation. Their win was a dominant 5-and-3 final match victory, the second-largest margin in the tournament’s history. It earned Young and Yen automatic exemptions into the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
A Prescient Picture
But before any of these golf course heroics, let’s go back to 2020 when Young, at 10, drew a prescient self-portrait. The picture is now framed and displayed in her room: a crayon drawing that Young drew of herself holding up an LPGA trophy, wearing a golf outfit and a broad smile. This picture that demonstrated her joy and determination about chasing her dream of a pro golf career.
“I still have that dream,” Young says. “I want to be there.”
That dream appears closer today.
“I think to be able to call myself a USGA champion is such an honor,” she says. “It really shows I can play in these events and perform well.”
She’s quick to credit her friendship with Yen as part of the win. “We’re friends first,” she says. “We both wanted to win, but we are there for each other no matter what.”
Learning to Play in Wintry Weather
Young’s year-round dedication to golf might surprise anyone who’s spent a winter in Bend. She’s practiced her chipping in snow flurries, trained through sub-freezing days and hit putts while bundled in layers. Her commitment has always required more than talent — it’s taken grit.
“I’ve had to persevere a lot,” she says. “It’s not California or Texas. But you make it work.”
Young now attends Laurel Springs School, an online high school that allows her to travel to tournaments while keeping up with academics. “On a 30-minute car ride, I’d be doing math homework while my mom drives,” she says. “It gets a little hectic sometimes.”
Young trains at Tetherow when she’s home but has a soft spot for many of Central Oregon’s courses. “Every tee box has a perfect view of the mountains,” she says.
Before she found golf, Young was a competitive swimmer. The strength she developed in the pool didn’t go to waste.
“I’d say one of my strengths now is being able to hit the ball long,” she says. “Swimming was such a physical grind every day. It made me strong when I was little, and I love to work out now.”
That strength translates to her swing, aggressive and assertive, which she models after British pro Charlie Hull. “I love how she draws the ball and attacks,” Young says. “That’s something I try to emulate.”
Bandon and Beyond
Bandon Dunes is a special course for Young. Years ago, she played it with her dad during a parent-child event. Now, she’s back competing among the best amateurs in the world.
“It’s kind of surreal,” she says. “There’s no other course quite like it — no trees, all wind, link-style. It’s a grind, but it’s an amazing place to play. I seriously love the mental and physical challenge.”
In the long term, Young is focused on college — likely somewhere in the South, where the golf season never ends — and eventually turning pro.
But in the meantime, she’s putting in the work, shot by shot.
“You never really know what’s going to happen in golf,” she says. “But that’s why I love it. Even after a terrible shot, the next one might be your best ever.”
Asia Young knows how to look ahead. She’s been doing it since she was 10, with crayons in hand. Now, she’s swinging her way into a future she already imagined. You can follow Asia Young chase her golfing dreams on Instagram at @asia_young15.
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