'I'm just here to have fun and play the best I can': Meet Lucy Li, the 11-year-old golfer taking the U.S. Open by storm

Daily Mail (UK) | 20 June 2014

As the U.S. Women’s Open kicked off yesterday on the lush greens of North Carolina’s Pinehurst Resort & Country, one conspicuously small player was stealing the spotlight.

Lucy Li, an 11-year-old from Redwood Shores, California, is the youngest player ever to qualify for the golf tournament – knocking out former record-holder Lexi Thompson, who was 12 when she qualified in 2007.

But Lucy is not taking the task so seriously, telling reporters after finishing the event’s first round yesterday that she planned to spend the rest of the afternoon eating ‘some more ice cream.’

Stealing the spotlight: Lucy Li, an 11-year-old golf player, is turning heads at the U.S. Open - currently under way in North Carolina

VIDEO: 11-year-old golfer taking the US Women's Open by storm

But while Lucy’s favorite snack may be typical of an 11-year-old – especially one whose smile is laced with braces - her talent and style of play is certainly not.

Lucy has played golf since the age of seven – a time during which her talent was so innate that she began working with one of golf’s all-star trainers.

In April she won her first major title – taking first place in her age group at the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, held at Augusta National, the site of the hallowed Masters tournament.

While she typically competes in an amateur division, the U.S. Open does not place an age limit or ceiling on its qualifying hopefuls, and only requires that amateurs boast a handicap of 2.4 or below. 

Because Lucy’s handicap is 1.5, she was fair to seek qualification for the tournament – a task she passed in mid-May with flying colors.

But unlike in amateur competitions, Lucy is now competing against women who are well over a decade older than her. Among them is one Catherine O’Donnell, a 24-year-old former Tarheel and her U.S. Open playing partner, who told the New York Times of her interactions with the middle schooler: ‘She looks 11. She doesn’t talk 11 and she doesn’t hit the ball like she’s 11.’

‘It was like playing with another pro,’ she added.

Heavy hitter: Lucy is competing against women that are well over a decade older than her in the U.S. Open (pictured, she is photographed in a practice round for the tournament on Wednesday)

Jazzed up: Lucy even takes the task of a practice round seriously (at least where fashion is concerned), as she is seen here on Tuesday in a round before the U.S. Open

While Lucy’s tournament buddy may vet her maturity, she does realize that there are some things in life that still fly above an 11-year-old’s head – even when it comes to young adult literature.

When asking Lucy about her favorite hobby, reading, Ms O’Donnell discovered: ‘She doesn’t like Harry Potter too much. I don’t think she’s quite old enough.’

Following Thursday’s first day of play alongside Ms O’Donnell, Lucy held an eight-over-par score of 78, trailing rather far behind current tournament leader – Stacy Lewis – who currently holds a three-under-par score of 67.

While she is currently tied in 111th place, Lucy says that her main objective in this tournament is not to win, but to simply ‘have fun and play the best I can.’

One of the ways in which she’s done this is through her outfit – a patriotic skirt and T-shirt combination of stars, stripes, and hearts (all fabricated in red, white, and blue), that even drew the attention of the U.S. Open’s sports reporters.

When asked about the festive choice, she told them she picked out the ensemble ‘because it’s the U.S. Open. I like the red, white and blue, too.’

Patriotic flair: Lucy's outfits often display an American theme, as she is seen here being profiled by NBC's Golf special

The cheeky outfit is not unlike Lucy’s many prior fashionable turns on golf greens that are typically brightly-colored, often ruffled, and always paired with her signature pigtail braid hairstyle - as well as an embellished visor. 

Former teen golf phenom and current 24-year-old pro Michelle Wie told the Times of Lucy earlier this week: ‘She looks so darn cute. I don’t think I looked that cute when I was 11.’

But all of these ensembles are just part of the reason that Lucy has been garnering attention in golf circles in the last few months. 

She headed into the tournament with four years of training from one of golf’s most celebrated coaches. 

Born in Stanford, California, to Warren Li, a computer consultant and Amy Zeng, a former Hewlett-Packard employee, Lucy began training with Jim McLean at age seven – a former coach for Miss Thompson as well as seasoned pros including Cristie Kerr and Keegan Bradley.

But unlike Mr McLean and Miss Wie, not all of golf’s luminaries are in agreement with Lucy’s participation in the U.S. Open.

Honed technique: Lucy has been training with coach Jim McLean since the age of seven, and went on to win her first title earlier this year

Current leader Miss Lewis, 29, told USA Today Sports earlier this week: ‘I’m not a big fan of it. She qualified, so we can’t say anything about that.

‘But I like to see kids be successful at every level before they come out here. I just like to see kids learn how to win before they come get beat up out here. … When I found out she qualified, I said, “Well where does she go from here?” 

‘You qualify for an Open at 11, what do you do next? If it was my kid, I wouldn’t let her play in the U.S. Open qualifier at 11, but that’s just me.’

But as Lucy told the Times ahead of tournament: ‘I didn’t care if I qualified or not. I just wanted to go for the experience.’