Rising golf star, 18, dies after brain haemorrhage
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- Jessica Bang, an 18-year-old Australian golfer, died on Thursday after collapsing on 1 August from a brain haemorrhage while preparing for a tournament in Thailand.
- Bang was rushed to a hospital in Bangkok, where she underwent emergency brain surgery and spent nearly two weeks in intensive care before her death.
- Bang had won her first professional event in just her fifth start earlier in 2025 and turned professional at the end of that year.
- The WPGA Tour of Australasia called Bang an "outstanding young talent" and said the thoughts of the Australian golf community were with her family.
- Bang had recently qualified to start her rookie season on the WPGA Tour after winning the 2025 Queensland Amateur and shooting a final-round 65 to earn a spot at the NWS Women's Open on the Ladies European Tour.
- Bang's cousins set up a GoFundMe page after her collapse, with raised funds going to her parents to help cover medical expenses.
Why it matters: Bang's death at 18 — just months after turning professional and winning her first event — represents a devastating loss for Australian women's golf, cutting short a career that had already shown elite promise with a professional win in only her fifth start and qualification for both the WPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.
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