Anna Huang was just six years old when she witnessed Lydia Ko win Canada’s National Open for the third time as an 18-year-old at the Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. Seeing Ko win in person back in 2015 gave her a visual representation that success in golf could be achieved from an early age and it’s driven her to succeed and to achieve her own version of greatness in the sport.
“I would say Lydia Ko is one of my idols growing up. I remember watching Lydia win in 2015. It was so cool to see how young she was but was still able to win events on the LPGA Tour. It really inspired me to work harder to become a better golfer.”
Young Anna was introduced to the sport of golf at the age of four by her parents, Alex Huang and Amanda An.
“I just remember starting out and playing with friends. We were laughing and having a good time playing on my home course in Vancouver,” said Huang about her humble beginnings in the sport. “But right from the beginning I loved it and stuck to it.”
Huang’s passion for golf would see the ambitious and hard-working youngster put all her focus and efforts towards reaching her full potential in the sport.
She says her first validation that her hard work was paying off came with her big win at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in 2018.
“When I was nine, I played in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship. It was held in the Pinehurst area in North Carolina and I won that,” she recalled.
“That tournament was all the hype back then; and it still is now for all the junior golfers. Having that win really made me believe that I could compete with the best in the world and I just have to continue working hard.”
Huang first joined Golf Canada’s NextGen team in 2023 and her coach on the squad, Jeff MacDonald, speaks about her development and her strengths as a golfer.
“Anna was 13 when she first came to our selection camp and over that time we could see she has gotten physically stronger and because of that she’s able to hit the ball further. She hits a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. She is very steady,” he said about Huang.
“Something else that impresses me is her composure on the golf course. She’s very calm and confident. She doesn’t take a lot of risk or chances; she’s really calculated in her decisions making.”
MacDonald points to the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship where Huang made birdie on the final hole to help Team Canada win a gold medal with a one-stroke victory over Team Korea.
“Her mental toughness on the golf course is impressive. She doesn’t get overwhelmed by anything. That is something that impresses me for someone so young,” he noted.
At the 2024 Lalla Aicha Q-School in Marrakech, Morocco, Huang earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season. She made the decision to turn pro the following month to pursue the childhood dream she’s had since the age of six.
The teenage rookie pro golfer would experience her own version of greatness on the golf course in September of 2025 as she captured two LET tournaments.
The first of these impressive victories came at the La Sella Championship in Spain where she finished at 20 under, winning by seven strokes.
“That was a breakthrough victory. Honestly, going into the tournament I didn’t think I was going to win. But to win it and by seven strokes really helped to build my confidence,” said Huang about capturing her maiden title on the LET.
She followed that up by winning the Lacoste Ladies Open the following weekend by two strokes. Since then she has won another two times on the Ladies European Tour, making it four titles in less than 11 months. At just 17 years, nine months old, Huang became the youngest player in LET history to reach four career titles.
“I was just thinking a lot of the success would not be possible with the support team around me such as my family, Golf Canada, and my coaches.”
MacDonald says the wins by the former NextGen member were well deserved and very satisfying for everyone involved in her journey.
“I was incredibly happy for her and her parents because I know how much work and effort they put into it,” he noted.
“To win two weeks in a row on the LET and four wins in total is incredible and it just showed her drive to succeed and ability to compete at the highest level.”
Given her success in Europe, the talented young pro is even more driven to chase down her childhood dream of playing and excelling on the LPGA Tour – like her childhood idol. This year, Huang has the support of Golf Canada through her selection on the Professional Team where she is working with women’s head coach, Salimah Mussani.
“Anna is very mature and she’s obviously incredibly talented. Her work ethic and her golf IQ are impressive,” said Mussani about Huang.
“Anna is just very consistent in her habits and the way she goes about her daily routine. She’s willing to put in the work to refine certain things in her game. She’s definitely on the right track to reach her goals.”
Now Canada’s No. 2-ranked golfer and a Top-40 player in the world, Huang will be a fascinating player to watch to watch at this week in the CPKC Women’s Open.
