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Julie Yang took up the game of golf when she
was just 6 years old. She lived for a time in Thailand, and
speaks fluent Thai. At age 9, she moved to Arizona. She won
her first international age group event, the UBC Junior World
Golf Tour, in December of 2002 at age 7. Before she turned
nine, she would accumulate over 20 such titles.
Yang had the talent to compete and even win
AJGA events, but was not allowed to play due to her youth:
the AJGA has a minimum age limit of 12 years. Shortly after
her 12th birthday in 2007, she played her first AJGA event
and finished third. At her second event a few weeks later,
she did even better, finishing second. She captured the title
at her third event, the Randy Smith Classic in Lubbock, TX,
beating two significantly older players in a playoff. In so
doing, she became the second youngest girl to ever win an
AJGA event, (the youngest girl to ever win one had won before
the 12 year age limit had been instituted). Yang was 12 years,
1 month and 8 days old when she won the Smith title. Later
in 2007, she won the US Kids World Championship. She was named
to the Rolex Junior All American teams in 2007 and 2008; she
was the youngest Rolex All American in history.
Even later in the year, Julie was invited
to play at a KLPGA event, the Inter-Burgo Masters. She did
not make the cut, but it was still a good learning experience
for the youthful golfer. In 2009, she played in three KLPGA
events, making all three cuts and achieving best amateur status
while still just 13 years old.
At age 14, Julie relocated
to Europe, where she attended school in Scotland. She continued
her winning ways there. Among her triumphs were wins at the
Welsh Ladies Open Stroke Play Championship, the Danish International
Ladies Amateur Championship, and the English Women's Open
Stroke Play Championship. She was the youngest winner in history
in all of those events.
Julie moved back to the States in 2011, and
looks primed to continue her rise to prominence over here.
Although she did not do well at the US Women's Amateur, losing
in the second round, she did win the 2011 Women's Trans National
Amateur Championship, where once again she was the youngest
champion in history.
Early in 2011, Julie played at the Kia Classic
on the LPGA tour, where she made the cut and finished tied
for 46th.
Julie skipped a school year and graduated
from high school in 2012. She joined Oklahoma State in early
2013 and will be playing on their golf team starting in the
Spring semester.
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