Earlier in the year, the 10-year-old Hong Kong resident made headlines by qualifying for the US Women's Public Links Championship, then in June became the youngest ever to reach the match-play portion of the event, surpassing a mark previously set by Michelle Wie. On 11 July, Li again entered the USGA record books by becoming the youngest ever to qualify for the US Women's Amateur.
The diminutive Li, who is based in California and weighs in at just 80 pounds, fired a five-over 75 in the 18-hole sectional qualifier at Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland to become one of eight women to advance from the 62-player field. Li's score, which came after she birdied two of the last three holes, put her in a tie for fifth, four shots behind medalist Mariko Tumangan and one shot better than the minimum score needed to qualify.
When this US Women’s Amateur begins this month (5 August), Li will be 10 years, 10 months and four days old, barely surpassing the record set just last year by Latanna Stone, who was 10 years, 11 months and two days old when she teed it up at The Country Club in Pepper Pike, Ohio.
Go Lucy!
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