Thanks to Talor Gooch, ‘asterisk’ has been making a headline in men’s golf here and there. But in women’s golf, it holds a different meaning altogether. The up-and-coming amateur golfer, Asterisk Talley, stunned the golf world after finishing T11 at the 2024 US Women’s Open’s second-round conclusion. Although Talley did not finish at the top, the golf world’s attention was on her and her unique name. But what is the story behind it?

Asterisk Talley’s name has Greek roots, as her mother, Brandii Talley, is Greek. The USGA reports that, in Greek, an asterisk means “little star.” And Talley has been nothing but that! The WJBF reported that Brandii Talley felt that Talley was always a special little star, and on the golf course, she has been owning to it with all her excellent performances.

Talking about her name in a 2018 interview, Talley said, “I feel like I want to be the only one that has a name like that.” Additionally, she also expressed that people usually go “wow” and find her name to be a cool one. However, not everyone seems to like it. The amateur golfer recalls when people have told her, “What the hell is that?” and she replied, “It’s like, sorry, I didn’t choose it. You just live with it.” 

As unique as her name is, the 15-year-old golfer’s autograph is more amusing. Talley started working on it when she was only 8 years old and has since mastered it to the top.

How does Asterisk Talley give her autograph? 

While Asterisk Talley’s name was given by her mother, Brandii, the credit for her unique autograph goes to her father, James Talley. He was the one who taught Talley golf when she was only a few years old and has been her biggest supporter. James Talley was a graphic designer before becoming an officer at the California Department of Corrections.

When she was just 8, Talley was getting requests from adults and her peers for autographs, and that’s when her dad suggested a better one. She recalled as Golf Digest reported, “My dad was just, like, you need to practice it because that’s when your handwriting starts getting better. It’s not like little kids anymore. He was just like, Now you need to start actually signing because you know how to write. So there you go.” 

After some practice, Talley started giving autographs, which would have an asterisk on “i” instead of the usual dot. The asterisk might be engraved even on new apparel that Talley would wear, as James Talley has been on a logo. As Asterisk Talley differentiates herself in the name category, with her game too, the 15-year-old amateur is expected to go big and become the star she always has been!