PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Sixteen months ago, Anna Huang was at home in Vancouver wrestling with one of the biggest decisions of her young life: whether to turn professional. At just 16 years old, she wasn’t sure if making the leap so early was the right move.
Fast forward to today, and the Canadian teenager has emerged as one of the brightest young stars in women’s golf. This week, she’ll tee it up at the U.S. Women’s Open, marking her third appearance in a major championship and fifth LPGA start.
“It’s cool when you used to just watch these events and suddenly, you’re playing in them,” Huang said ahead of her trip to Los Angeles. “I have yet to make the cut at a major, so the goal is to make the cut and try to go low on the weekend.”
To do that, she’ll need to maintain the strong form that has fueled her rapid rise through the professional ranks. Riviera Country Club’s demanding setup will present a stern test, and Huang knows her putting could be the difference-maker. With difficult pin positions expected throughout the week, capitalizing on scoring opportunities will be crucial.
Despite her early success, Huang admits she’s still learning from the whirlwind of experiences that have come in such a short span of time. For now, her focus remains simple; continue developing her game, embrace the journey and enjoy the ride.
Her confidence has grown alongside her results. Earlier this season, Huang became the youngest player in Ladies European Tour history to win three titles, breaking a record previously held by one of her idols, Lydia Ko.
“I’ve always looked up to Lydia, and it’s so hard to beat a Lydia Ko record,” she said with a smile. “I grew up watching her play, and in 2015, when she was playing the CPKC Women’s Open in Vancouver, that was a really cool experience for me.”
While Ko has gone on to become one of the game’s biggest stars, an LPGA Hall of Famer and a fixture among the world’s elite, Huang hopes her own career can follow a similar trajectory. She has climbed to a career-high No. 51 in the world rankings after starting her professional career at nearly No. 1,200 just over a year ago.
The rapid ascent has surprised even Huang herself. As an amateur, she never cracked the world’s top 100.
“It’s crazy — when you look at the rankings, it just goes ‘boop,’ straight up,” Huang said with a laugh, gesturing upward. “I definitely didn’t expect to get this high in the rankings so quickly, and I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to play so well in my first couple of years.”
One person who isn’t surprised is Salimah Mussani, one of Huang’s coaches and the leader of Team Canada’s women’s program. Mussani points to Huang’s exceptional golf IQ and relentless attention to detail as key reasons for her success.
“Very, very mature. Very self-aware,” said Mussani. “She has amazing reflection skills, understands what’s happening in her game and knows how to make adjustments. She’s not afraid to try different things, and she’s not afraid to be vulnerable. Those are all traits of a high-performance athlete.”
Huang won’t be the only Canadian competing at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open. She’ll be joined by Brooke Henderson and amateurs Lauren Kim and Aphrodite Deng. But with a spot already secured in this week’s championship and the remaining three majors on the calendar, Canadian golf fans should expect to see Huang’s name on some of the sport’s biggest stages for years to come.