For Union City rising sophomore and golf star Aston Lim, this summer has been anything but a break. But as the youngest player to make the second round of the 2025 United States Golf Association’s (USGA) Amateur Championship, his effort has been paying off.
Each morning, Lim heads out to Alameda’s Corica Park Golf Course. Armed with just his clubs and a tripod stand, he practices by himself until sunset, working on everything from putting to short shots and the accuracy of his drives. But the grind doesn’t stop there. At home, he’s watching drone flyovers of his next tournament’s course, studying yardage books, and now—with California Online Public Schools in session—attending classes.
Lim has had an extensive amateur career, including top-five finishes in US Kids Golf local tours, a Southern Alameda County Middle Athletic League Middle School Championship, and winning the American Junior Golf Association’s (AJGA) All-Star Invitational at Quail Creek Country Club.
But his road to the USGA Amateur Championship began on July 2, with an initial qualifier at Emerald Valley Golf Club. There, Lim sunk 20 and 30-foot putts en route to a 71 (-1) score and spot in the final qualifier at The Club at Ruby Hill in Pleasanton. Amidst 47 golfers from across the world, a strong 68 (-4) performance tied Lim for 5th place, securing a championship berth.
Though it was his first time playing at the Championship’s host location—this year being the Olympic Club in San Francisco—Lim felt confident during practice.
“In practice, I played with Jackson Koivun and Ben James, who are the number one and two amateurs in the world, so that was a really cool experience,” Lim said. “Playing with them let me know that I’m at that level, and I’m able to play as well as they do.”
In the initial Stroke Play round, Lim’s optimism was tested. Golfers played the Club’s Lake and Ocean courses, seeking to notch a low-enough combined score to make the Top-64 cut. Amidst a field of 312 top-ranked high school, collegiate and adult players, Lim’s relative youth meant his drives were largely underpowered. However, consistent accuracy on his shots and putts drove him to finish 71-71–142 (+2), tied for 33rd.
But in the ensuing Match Play round, where a golfer competes in one head-to-head round against another player, Lim’s run ended. Facing SEC-All Freshman golfer Billy Davis on the Lake Course, Lim was unable to keep pace. Though he was scoring two-over par (equalling his Stroke Play score), Davis’s consistent birdies propelled him to play two-under-par. Ultimately, Lim lost after the 15th hole, when Davis’s then-four stroke lead became mathematically insurmountable.
“Billy played really well—I think he only missed one fairway in the whole round,” Lim said. “I just didn’t hit as many fairways as I did in [Stroke Play], which didn’t set me up for a lot of birdies.”
Despite his early exit, Lim appreciated the chance to directly evaluate, and validate, his performance against the best of amateur golf.
“I’m actually a really good player, and able to keep up with the rest of the amateurs in the world,” Lim said. “There’s a lot of momentum going into my next event.”
Indeed, his golf-filled summer isn’t over. This week, Lim competed in the AJGA’s NW Arkansas Junior. There, he hoped to rack up AJGA points to help him qualify for his dream event—The Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. He also, although too young to be officially recruited, hoped to keep turning collegiate-coaches’ heads.
To view the tournament results and follow Lim’s career, visit ajga.org.
