Early Life

Yana Malani Wilson was born on August 21, 2006, in Henderson, Nevada. Yana’s career in golf began around the time she could walk. Her parents, Jim and Olga built a putting green in the back yard when Yana was 2 years old. This was her earliest memories of golf. “I can remember putting in the backyard with my mom and dad when I was 2 years old. “On weekends and we would spend hours in the backyard playing around, putting and chipping.”

It wasn’t until 2 or 3 years later that Yana would take her first swing with a Driver on the driving range. “I used to constantly bug my dad to take me with him to the driving range. He finally gave in and I was hooked!” Yana began playing in USKids Local Tour events in Las Vegas at age 7. “My dad would only teach me the driver swing so we showed up to my first tournament only knowing how to hit the driver. I didn’t do so well.” Yana worked hard on her game and eventually won her first tournament at age 8. By age 12, Yana has won over 90 junior golf tournaments throughout the country. She has won the 2018 and 2017 Nevada State Championship USKids Tour.

At Age 9, she finished T1 in her very first USKids World Championship in Pinehurst, NC coming up just short in a playoff. 

That was an amazing experience. We went there with a Top 20 goal. Together with my parents, we dialed in a plan on how we should play Long Leaf Golf Course. We charted every hole, every fairway. Our plan was to layup on the par 5’s every day. Being 2 shots back, I made the decision to go for it in two on the par 5’s on the last day. It was a gamble but it payed off. I shot -2 on the last day. Our game plan worked” – Yana

Latest updates

In summer 2018, Yana won the IGJA World Stars of Junior Golf World Championship at Paiute Golf Course in Las Vegas by 20 shots firing -18 for the 3 day Championship on the Pete Dye Course. Yana recently won her regional at Chambers Bay Golf Course in Washington to qualify her for the  2019 National finals Drive Chip and Putt. She will be competing at Augusta National next spring.

A fierce competitor, she also enjoys training in the gym including MMA and yoga. She loves the water and jumping on a surfboard on her trips to Hawaii – where she conquers the surf at Waikiki Beach. She plays tennis and has a wicked ping pong game.

When she’s not competing or playing sports, she spends much of her time studying and loves to draw. She has a passion for art and has won a few art competitions at her school.