Dreams became reality for the winners of the 49th Junior PGA Championships held at Purdue University’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex on July 29–Aug. 1 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
And while they both found themselves hoisting trophies on Aug. 1, the two champions had very different paths to the winners’ circle. Asterisk Talley battled to the very end to win the Girls Division, while Lunden Esterline cruised to a six-shot victory among the boys.
The Girls Division came down to the final putt on the Ackerman-Allen Course, with Talley (12-under 273) winning by one shot over Zoe Cusack after the two battled near the top of the leaderboard for three straight days.
“It means a lot just coming so close in the past and just grinding it out until the end,” said Talley, a rising junior from Chowchilla, California. “It felt good to make that putt at the last hole and to not have to do a playoff.”
It appeared there would be no playoff at first because Cusack, not Talley, approached the 18th tee with a two-stroke lead. Then Talley sunk about a 20-foot putt for birdie while Cusack double bogeyed, and a three-stroke swing gave Talley the outright win after 72 holes.
“We were both playing really well,” Talley said of her playing partner. “She was making some putts early today and I knew I would have to grind it out at the end.”
Talley, the No. 14-ranked female amateur in the world, led by two entering the final round, but it was Cusack who struck first Friday, opening with back-to-back birdies to move into a tie. Talley answered with a birdie on the third hole to move back ahead by one, a lead she maintained at the turn.
Cusack kicked off her back nine with a birdie-bogey-birdie stretch on holes 10-12 to tie Talley once again, and then immediately birdied the par-3, 137-yard 13th to take her first lead of the day. Cusack’s lead got as large as three shots after Talley bogeyed 14 and 15, but it was Talley’s birdie on the par-5 16th, followed by both players’ bogeys on the par-3 17th that led to the final round’s dramatic finish on 18.
Said Cusack, a rising senior from Potomac, Maryland, “I played pretty well except for the last hole, but it was a great competition and a great experience.”
California’s Anna Fang and Washington’s Cienna Lee fired off the two low scores of the final round, 6-under 65 and 7-under 64, respectively, to jump up the leaderboard into a tie for third with China’s Ying Xu (9-under 276).
In the Boys Division, Esterline entered the final round at 19-under with a seven-stroke lead and only one bogey on his card back on July 29. All he needed to win three days later was to play steady and hope no one made a massive charge up the leaderboard.
The Andover, Kansas, native took care of the first part, shooting an even-par 71 with three pars against three bogeys to finish at 19-under 266.
“It means so much, it’s hard to even put into words,” said Esterline. “I’m still trying to comprehend this whole thing.”
The rest of the field did not make it easy for him. Giuseppe Puebla fired a bogey-free 7-under 64 to jump 16 spots on the leaderboard to finish tied for second with Tyler Mawhinney, the only boy with four rounds under 70. Their scores of 13-under 272 might win most events, but the pair of Floridians finished six strokes off the lead.
“I think it’s just trying to stay steady throughout the round,” Esterline said on playing with a large lead. “I didn’t look at the leaderboard for the first time until I think hole 9.”
Playing in the final group with Florida’s Charlie Woods (Tiger’s son) and North Carolina’s Pennson Badgett, Esterline was followed by a large crowd all day. Although many fans may have initially come to see Woods, who finished T9 at 9-under 276, they had to be impressed by Esterline.
“I kind of enjoyed (the crowd) because when you hit a good shot, it’s more rewarding and you hear all these claps,” Esterline said.
Badgett (even-par 71) finished T4 at 12-under 273 with California’s Ayden Fynaut (1-under 70) and China’s Zenghao Hou (1-under 70).
Junior Ryder Cup Spots Secured
In addition to winning the Junior PGA Championships, Talley and Esterline secured their spots on the 2025 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team, which will take on the European squad Sept. 23-25 in New York. Play will begin at Nassau Country Club before moving to Bethpage Black for the final day as the juniors will showcase their skills on the same course that will host the professionals when the Ryder Cup begins on Sept. 26.
“So excited,” said Talley. “It’s always fun getting to rep the USA, especially with friends. It’s going to be super fun at Bethpage.”
“It means a ton,” added Esterline. “Representing your country is a thing that people work their whole life for. It’s a huge accomplishment.”
Cusack will also be on the U.S. Team after her runner-up finish in the Girls Division.
On the boys side, Puebla and Mawhinney finished in a tie for second place and both will make the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team. With Mawhinney already qualified for the team based on the points list, the typical playoff spot for the runner-up position was not needed.
“I think through probably like 15 or 16 holes is when I really started to think about the spot on the team,” said Puebla. “Now that I finally secured a spot on the team, it’s really amazing.”
“I think that’s everyone’s dream, to play for your country and it means a lot doing it at Bethpage,” added Mawhinney.
The full U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team, captained by PGA of America Past President Suzy Whaley, was announced in early August. —Alan Cox
