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Julie Yang took up the game of golf when she
was just 6 years old. 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 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. Many are predicting great things from Julie,
and considering the head start she has, they are probably
right!
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