Nine-year-old Lucy Li makes history at the California Women’s Amateur
-- CWAC Committee
CARMEL, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2011) – Lucy Li , 9, of Redwood Shores, Calif. made history last week at the California Women’s Amateur Championship, becoming the youngest player in the 45-year history of the event to make the cut for the championship flight.
Li shot 84, 87 at the 6,020 yard Golf Club at Quail Lodge and ended up the earning the No. 26 seed out of the 54-player field attempting to qualifying for match play. This was no small feat for a kid who turned nine a month ago. Li hits the ball about 160 yards and needs one extra shot to reach par fours and fives in regulation --- but she has the short game to make pars and compete at a high level.
I had the opportunity to watch Li in action for the last few holes of her match against veteran player Sandy Woodruff. Her swing is amazing, she is parallel at the top and has great tempo. The ball flies straight down the middle of the fairway.
When she reaches the green, she takes no time. She just looks at it and knocks it in the hole. As Woodruff mentioned, the only task on the greens Li did have a little trouble with was tending the flag stick as she is only four feet tall. Woodruff won the match 2-up.
At the event’s player’s dinner, amateurgolf.com raffled off a Sun Mountain golf bag and a lifetime membership to the website. Li won the lifetime membership. The fourth grader who is set to graduate high school in 2020 sure got her money’s worth on that one.
ABOUT THE California Women's Amateur
The California Women’s Amateur Championship was
founded in 1967 and played at Pebble Beach Golf
Links until 1987 when the Championship was invited
to Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, where it was
played through 2019.
36-hole stroke play qualifying
round, 18 holes each day, to determine 32
players
for match play. Prizes will be awarded
to the Champion, Runner-up, Semifinalists,
Quarterfinalists
and the 36-hole Low Gross Medalist
from qualifying rounds.
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