Rookie professional golfer Jessica Bang, 18, dies after brain hemorrhage

Jessica Bang, an 18-year-old Australian rookie professional golfer and a rising star in the sport, died on Thursday after suffering a brain hemorrhage in Thailand earlier this month as she was preparing for a tournament.

The WPGA Tour of Australasia said in a statement it was “deeply saddened” by the passing of the teenager, who collapsed on August 1. Bang’s family said she died at Synphaet Ramintra Hospital in Bangkok on Thursday morning.

A GoFundMe page organized by the family has received over 51,000 AUD ($36,200; £26,700) in donations as of Friday. On the fundraising page, Bang’s family previously wrote that she was on life support in the intensive care unit. They said the funds raised were originally targeted towards transporting her home, but will now help her family pay medical expenses.

“We are truly heartbroken by this news,” the family said. “However, we would like to continue to remember Jessica and celebrate her achievements, passion, and dedication to golf.”

Bang, who was born in South Korea, won the Women’s New South Wales Open Regional Qualifying Event in her fifth start in February, just three months after turning professional. By finishing at 13-under-par, Bang set a course record and won by five shots.

“Jessica was an outstanding young talent who made a significant impression in her short time on the Tour, winning the Ford Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifying Event at Moss Vale in February in just her fifth professional start,” the WPGA Tour of Australasia said in a statement, adding that Bang had earned her place on the WPGA Tour through Qualifying School at the end of 2025.

“The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the broader Australian golf community are with Jessica’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved her at this incredibly difficult time.”