Stanford, CA - Defending champion, Asterisk Talley of Chowchilla, California, leads by four shots after the first round of The Fortinet Stanford Invitational hosted by Rose Zhang. The Stanford commit, fired a 7-under- par 64, the same as she did in the first round in this event the previous year.
Talley began her round in stellar fashion by carding back-to-back birdies on holes no.1 and no.2. She then continued her strong play with two additional birdies on the front nine and sprinkled in three more birdies on the back-nine to cement a bogey-free round. Talley is ranked No.2 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and the defending champion of this event. She is looking to maintain her momentum in the coming days.
"My goal for today was to try and get a great head start with the weather possibly coming in later this week... I wanted to start well today so I can continue my game plan later in the week."
Following Talley, Rina Kawasaki of (Japan) Palos Verdes Estates, California, sits in second place after a 3-under-par 68. She carded four birdies throughout the round and had a bogey free back-nine to highlight her scorecard. Kawasaki is currently ranked No. 33 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings and is seeking her first Invitational victory.
In a five-way tie for third place, Hailey Kim of Simi Valley, California, Riya Bapna of Coppell Texas, Honorine Ferry of Flower Mound, Texas, Clairey Lin of Palo Verdes Estates, California and Kelly Zhang of Hillsborough, California all finish the first round with a 2-under par 69 on the day.
Second round action is set to begin at 8:30 AM PT.
About Rose Zhang
Zhang, whose AJGA career was filled with remarkable achievements, returns to her collegiate course to share her insights with the next generation of junior golfers. As a junior, she was a two-time Rolex Junior Player of the Year and a nine time AJGA champion, with an impressive seven Invitational victories. In 2022, she made history as the first Stanford player in 18 years to win the NCAA Individual Championship. Now balancing life as both a professional golfer and a Stanford student, Zhang continues working toward her diploma while excelling on the LPGA Tour. Since turning pro in 2023, she has already secured two LPGA victories and represented Team USA in two Solheim Cups, further cementing her place among golf’s rising stars.
About Fortinet
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Fortinet joined the AJGA in 2022 as the Official Diversity & Inclusion/STEM Education Partner.