Bryson DeChambeau has faced this situation before. He knew exactly what Asterisk Talley was feeling after her late blowout at the shortest hole at Augusta National. That is why, as Talley left the course with her heart broken, DeChambeau hugged her and offered words of encouragement that will stay with the 17-year-old U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball winner forever.
“He said keep my head high,” Talley said of DeChambeau. “He said he’s been in my position before, and he knows how it feels, especially here… You’re a great player. It doesn’t really matter.”
DeChambeau’s empathy likely stems from his own brutal history at Augusta. He was the low amateur in 2016, but then he struggled to solve the Masters puzzle for years, including an 80 and back-to-back missed cuts in 2022 and 2023. And last year, DeChambeau started the final round two shots back of Rory McIlroy. He took the lead after the second hole only to lose it again to the Northern Irishman. The two-time U.S. Open champion sealed his Masters fate with a double bogey at No. 11 and a bogey at 12.
Talley entered the final round at ANWA 2026 with a one-stroke lead at 11-under par after two bogey-free rounds at Champions Retreat. For a while, it appeared she was ready to take the final round pressure when Talley began the day with birdies on Nos. 1, 3, and 4, turning in 3-under 33 at the front nine. With nine holes left, Talley’s lead remained slim, but Talley had not made a bogey at the ANWA since the sixth of the final round last year.
But the pressure started to mount on the 10th hole, where she missed a short birdie chance. On the par-4 11th, she recorded her first bogey of the tournament, falling into a tie with Colombia’s Maria Jose Marin. Then, on the 155-yard par-3 12th, Augusta’s shortest hole, the catastrophe began.
Talley’s tee shot went into the bushes, eventually settling in a back bunker. The sand was unexpectedly hard, preventing her from generating spin. Her second shot raced across the green and into Rae’s Creek. In that moment, Talley elected to drop back in the same bunker rather than crossing the water. She repeated the error, sending her fourth shot into the water again. She eventually took a quadruple-bogey 7, effectively ending her title hopes in 15 minutes.
Talley finished with a 3-over 75, falling to a tie for fourth place when the tournament concluded. And with that, Talley narrowly missed the opportunity to win the ANWA for the second time. In 2025, she shot 68 in the final round to finish runner-up by a single stroke to Spain’s Carla Bernat Escuder.
Call it a setback or motivation; Augusta National has its own way of testing champions. Asterisk Talley is simply the latest victim. The infamous Hole 12 has several other elite victims in its lore:
- In 2016, defending champion Jordan Spieth was leading by five at the turn before a quadruple-bogey 7 on the 12th. It doomed his title defense.
- Greg Norman famously had a six-shot lead on Sunday in the 1996 Masters that he eventually lost by a water ball on the 12th during a final-round 78.
- Francesco Molinari, Brooks Koepka, and Tony Finau all found the water at the 12th while in contention for the green jacket.
#EMOTIONAL ENDING — Asterisk Talley (+3, 75) was emotional during her post round interview at Augusta. pic.twitter.com/TKLvluBqQY
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 4, 2026
But while everyone focused on the collapse, Rory McIlroy provided a different angle in the NBC broadcast room.
Rory McIlroy explained why Asterisk Talley should regroup after the meltdown
Rory McIlroy, the 2025 Masters champion, was on site at Augusta National. Having finally won the Masters in 2025 to complete his career Grand Slam, after over a decade of heartbreak and never losing hope, McIlroy spoke about the necessity of regrouping.
“Anything can happen on this golf course is what I would tell her,” McIlroy said. “Two par 5s are coming up in 13 and 15, with a pin on the left at 16; the water is in play. A lot can happen. Obviously she needs to bounce back on 13 and hopefully make a birdie, but it’s certainly not over around this place. I know that better than anyone. Hopefully she regroups, and it’ll be an exciting last few holes.”
Despite the quadruple bogey on 12, Talley bounced back with a birdie at the 13th. But then she made bogey at 15 and dumped her tee shot on No. 16 in the water, which finally sealed her fate. Still, the way Talley continues competing for the rest of the game and faces the camera for an interview after the final-round heartbreak was truly inspiring.
Gebby Hergiz of The Athletic wrote on X, “A ‘W’ for the Asterisk Talley today. That was so tough on No. 12. I can’t imagine what it felt like in the moment. But she kept her chin up and then stood in front of us and answered every question with honesty and grace. At age 17? Huge, huge props.”
But Talley, who has built a career by winning big tournaments and several near-misses, will definitely carry this scar when she visits the heralded course for the next time.
