Tour News

11-year-old qualifies for the U.S. Women’s Open

Published

12 years ago

May 20, 2014

It would be simple to begin with the words “Most eleven-year olds are” or “When I was eleven, one thing I wasn’t doing was…” Consider that temptation resisted.

Lucy Li, born little more than a decade ago, lowered the age bar for U.S. Open qualifiers by nine months on Tuesday, May 19th. The Redwood Shores, Calif., native toured the Half Moon Bay Old Course (California) in rounds of 74 and 68 to win the site qualifying medal by seven strokes. Li now advances to an historic playing of the national championship, to be contested June 19-22 for the first time over the #2 course at the Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort and Country Club.

Last June, at the ripe, young age of 10, Li advanced to match play at the USGA Women’s Amateur Public Links and came within two strokes of a repeat performance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur later that summer. Prior to her precocious achievements, current LPGA professionals Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie held the youngest-ever qualifying records for the Open and Amateur Public Links, respectively. This year’s achievement completes a trifecta for Li, who also became the youngest participant in the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship last year. The previous holder of that distinction was Latanna Stone, who advanced to that national championship in 2012 at a wee 28 days older than Lucy Li.

If you were wondering, Lucy wears braces, smiles perpetually and plays in what look like sneakers (but is probably high-tech golf footwear.) As happened with women’s professional tennis in the 1970s, female golfers (think the aforementioned Thompson, Wie, Morgan Pressel and Lydia Ko) are becoming newsworthy at younger ages. Let’s hope that all young athletes receive proper guidance about their sports and life.

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Ronald Montesano

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

13 Comments

roland

Jun 22, 2014 at 12:51 am

Can you investigate her birth certificate? Also mention she trains at a Florida golf school 4 months out of the year. She no prodigy just a work horse without parental contact. Why not ask for proof of birth and why her parents answer no questions. In addition they have her dressing like a 5 year old with ice cream to poke our eyes but the facial hair give her away.
I hope they investigate and find out its fraud and all her trophies are disqualified.

Reply Report comment
Jeremy Beale

May 21, 2014 at 6:37 am

People often forget what a young sport golf actually is and just because a young girl such as Li makes her grand opening at a major doesn’t change that fact.

A person could say the trend started with 20-year-old Francis Ouimet and after his U.S. Open appearance they only got younger from there.

I mean let’s look at the list:

Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, recently Jordan Speith,last year at the Master’s Guan Tianlang and the list goes on.
Then for the women:

Lexi Thompson who won her first major before she even went to prom, Morgan Pressel, Jessica Korda and before Lucy Li there have been a few others as Ron mentioned who were 11-year-olds such as Michell Wie and last year’s phenom Latanna Stone.

All-in-all whether Lucy Li is the youngest this year and another golfer is younger the next, this sport is built of the younger generations. As long as their are junior programs nurturing new talent each year, there will always be a young prodigy lurking, waiting to break this barrier. That can be guaranteed.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  May 21, 2014 at 8:50 am
  
  Jeremy,
  
  Lexi Thompson won her first major this year, at the Kraft Nabisco. Since she is 19 and was home-schooled, I suspect that she either went to prom or has no plans to ever go.
  
  Now that that’s out of the way, this is a very cogent reply. The unknown “what’s ahead” always lurks. I remember making a case for Yani Tseng over Michelle Wie, dating back to Tseng’s victory over Wie at the USWAPL in 2004. For years, Wie struggled while Tseng tsoared. Now, Tseng seems burnt out while Wie seems to improve each year.
  
  I know that we can’t image a 10-year old qualifying for the amateur or professional major championships, but who knows where science and the goofy foods we eat today and tomorrow will take us!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jeremy Beale
    
    May 29, 2014 at 5:01 pm
    
    I apologize for the miss information Ronald. I was trying to refer to when Lexi won her first event becoming the youngest to ever win on the LPGA Tour–which was a major victory in itself. Haha.
    
    A short time after, she led a Support the Troop Campaign where she tried to find a Prom date. He ended up being a young Marianne from our armed forces.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jeremy Beale
      
      May 29, 2014 at 5:02 pm
      
      **Marine
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Ronald Montesano
        
        Jun 1, 2014 at 8:52 am
        
        Jeremy,
        
        I suspected you meant that, but wanted to clarify before anyone else with less patience did so.
        
        Reply Report comment
Ram

May 21, 2014 at 3:57 am

How does an 11 year old hit it far enough to break 100 on a USGA qualifying set-up? I’ve got a 9 year old that is the best 9 year old in town, but she can’t hit her driver more than a buck 50!

Reply Report comment
- Frederik
  
  May 21, 2014 at 4:58 am
  
  An 11 year old could easily hit it 150 yards with a driver, and from the womens tees. it’s not that far in to the hole. Because if u play as good as she does, you’re probably a beast around the green, and can’t hit a ball OB. So she probably makes par on most holes, because of her being as straight as she might be.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ronald Montesano
    
    May 21, 2014 at 7:34 am
    
    Frederik,
    
    If Lucy Li learned the game backward, from hole to tee deck, she has precisely what you describe as being “a beast around the green.”
    
    Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  May 21, 2014 at 7:33 am
  
  We’ll find out next month, won’t we? If a course is running fast and firm, as Pinehurst is expected to be, any distance variable will be minimized. I haven’t had the chance to see her play, but if you watch this video, you’ll get a sense of a swing in all the right places, at the proper times: http://nslog.com/2013/05/30/lucy_lis_golf_swing
  
  Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  Jun 1, 2014 at 8:51 am
  
  Ram,
  
  Imagine that you had a 9-year old back in 1984 in Cypress, California. He or she might have been pretty awesome, but there was also this kid named Tiger Woods. We might be privy to the development of one of the most unique female golfers of the new century (or not…doesn’t matter.) To compare “best in town” to “potential best of a generation” is unfair to both parties.
  
  Reply Report comment
Trevor K

May 20, 2014 at 10:24 pm

Ecko went out of style before she was born.

Reply Report comment
- Ronald Montesano
  
  May 21, 2014 at 2:23 am
  
  Thanks for the comment, Trevor. What is in style is her terrific course management and fearless ability to make birdies. I hope that she is parented well and given an opportunity to continue to balance her life.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.