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Farah O’Keefe, Asterisk Talley and Yunseo Yang are giving amateur golf fans plenty to watch at the LPGA’s first major.
Nelly Korda is setting the pace at the Chevron Championship, but the amateur storyline is building quickly behind her.
Through Friday’s early second-round action, Farah O’Keefe is the top amateur on the board, sitting at 4-under and inside the top five at The Club at Carlton Woods. The University of Texas junior opened with a 68 and has held steady in her major championship debut.
For O’Keefe, the week carries extra meaning. The Austin native is playing in her home state after receiving a sponsor exemption, and she entered the championship as one of the top-ranked amateurs in the world. Her 2026 form has backed that up, including three collegiate wins in a four-event stretch.
O’Keefe is not alone. Asterisk Talley, one of the top junior players in the country, is also under par, while Yunseo Yang has kept herself near the first page of the leaderboard.
Their strong starts continue a trend that has become impossible to ignore: elite amateurs are arriving at professional majors more prepared than ever. With college golf, international competition and USGA championships sharpening their games, players like O’Keefe, Talley and Yang are no longer just gaining experience. They are contending.
Korda remains the player everyone is chasing, but for amateur golf fans, Friday at the Chevron Championship offered a clear reminder of what is coming next.
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