Natasha Andrea Oon, 24, who was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and raised in Kuala Lumpur, has been chalking up some impressive scores on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2026, after a two-year layoff because of a serious leg injury.
Earlier this year, she tied for 60th position at the Ford Championship and tied for 53rd at the Fortinet Founders Cup.
On Thursday, she fired a 6-under 66 in the opening round of the JM Eagle LA Championship for a tie for 3rd, but fell back with a +6 score on Friday.
Off the course, Natasha has become a favourite among journalists covering the LPGA Tour, particularly for her candid comments.
After a tough day recently, she was quoted as telling reporters: “I said golf was fun, but today I might be a liar”.
Another report said she brings a breath of fresh air each time she appears for a post-round press conference.
“Her interviews are fascinating because she’s just as interested in asking reporters genuine questions as she is in answering the ones thrown her way. People can’t get enough of her eccentric self,” one writer said.
Natasha said she is just being herself.
“People are coming up to me and telling me, ‘Oh, I love your interviews’,” she said. “Honestly, I’m just being myself. I think it’s cool to have that reception and know that I could be a little relatable with people. I’ve gone through a tough time, and my walls are down.”
Natasha has also been described as a “quirky, charming and unafraid” rookie who brings a high-energy “rockstar” presence to the course.
Reports said she connects well with the fans, with one outlet comparing her ability to electrify the atmosphere to “scoring a goal in the Fifa World Cup”.
Natasha started playing golf at a young age, often accompanying her father, Sam Oon, to the Royal Selangor Golf Club.
When she was just 12, she won a car after making a hole-in-one at the 40th RSGC Ladies Amateur Open Championship.
“It’s been pretty blurred, it’s been a while,” she later recalled. “I did get my 15 minutes of fame. It was just crazy because I didn’t even see the ball go in the hole. We all thought it was some kind of small car that I got, but my dad came from his office in that moment, and we all got to ride in another version of the car. It was like I won the tournament before the tournament even finished.”
Natasha later went to San Jose State University in the US before turning professional in 2023. She won the 2023 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout on the Epson Tour, earning her full LPGA Tour membership.
Then came her injury – diagnosed as sesamoid stress fracture – in her right foot, which forced her to miss the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons. She returned to competitive golf this year via the Epson Tour and a medical exemption.
Natasha, an Inkster Senior Award recipient, now has World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster and her husband Brian to help her with her game, including the mental side of it.
“She’s not afraid to show her emotions,” Inkster, a winner of seven major championships, said. “She’s not afraid to let people know who she is. I love that about her. When I played, you could tell if I was shooting 65 or 85. She’s kind of that same way. She’s not reserved. She’s not afraid to step up.”