17-year-old Asterisk Talley has a slim lead heading into the finals. At the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the young phenom is a picture of calm, keeping her title hopes firmly in check.

She leads with just one shot at 11 under heading into Saturday. When she was asked on Friday if she lets herself think about winning, Asterisk Talley said: “I think I do allow myself to think about it a little bit. But I also try to keep it low.”

"Just thinking of how cool it would be to hoist that trophy tomorrow would be pretty nice, but I also try to put it in perspective that I still need to go out there and shoot a good round tomorrow to even get that chance of touching it," she added.

For most teenagers, that kind of perspective would be hard to fake. For Talley, it's just how she operates. She won a USGA title at 15. She pushed past then-world No. 1 Lottie Woad in Curtis Cup singles.

Runner-up finishes at the U.S. Women's Amateur and U.S. Girls' Junior are on her card, too. Saturday is a chance at her fourth straight amateur victory.

The ANWA is a bit different from most tournaments. Because of its 54-hole format at Augusta National and Champions Retreat, the leader has to keep the lead for two nights.

Asterisk Talley Has Unfinished Business at Augusta National

Augusta National already feels personal for her. Last year, Talley shot a 68 in the final round but still didn’t win, as Carla Bernat Escuder beat her.

"Just thinking that I got here for a reason, so why can't I finish it off on the last day," Talley said.

That’s what stands out about her. There’s no big mental plan or perfect, practiced answers. She’s just a young player who truly believes she belongs, because her results have shown it.

She’s ranked No. 1 among junior players in the world. She goes straight for the pins. She doesn’t get nervous on Saturdays. And she already knows what it feels like to play at Augusta National when the pressure is at its highest.

All of that gets tested on Saturday. Eighteen holes. One shot lead. The biggest title of her career is waiting at the other end. "Thinking of the course before I think of the awards ceremony," Talley said, "or the cool things that would happen after."

Do you think Asterisk Talley will close it out on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi