11 Year Old Qualifies for Women's Open

[Jerry Kluger]

I would like to discuss this as a gca question.  I read that she hits the ball no further than 180 to 200 yards so how was she able to shoot a 68?  What type of course was it as it and it must have been playing very firm and fast with openings in the front of the greens.  How about at Pinehurst - will she be able to effectively play the course?  As on OT side question - what happens if the course destroys her game - what happens to an 11 year old dealing with it? 

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

This girl may be the Tiger Woods of women's golf.  She has already competed in the US Am and Publinks.  In addition, she easily won her flight in the inaugural ANGC junior event that preceded the Masters.   There are some pictures online of her with Condaliza Rice, Jimmy Dunne, and Billy Payne.  Also, she is a student at my friend Jim McLean's Texas junior golf academy.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Course was set up at 6,241yds.

Accounts put her driver at up to 220.

Doesn't look like a push-over
 http://course.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/course/course/halfmoonbaygloldlink/detailedscorecard.htm

5 million 'tweeners  will probably be watching. 

All accounts have her as very well adjusted.

[A.G._Crockett]

I believe she qualified on a 6200 yd course and shot 68; way past impressive given her driving distance.

There is only one question in this, which is "Are you having fun?"  I suspect that, beyond athletic ability, she is hard-wired MUCH differently than other 11 yr olds, but her parents have to make sure that she is still having fun, whatever fun means to her.  If she plays poorly at Pinehurst, then it will be their job to have laid the groundwork for that possibility; she'll only be harmed in the long run if she senses disappointment from them in her performance.

If they aren't putting pressure on her, then she won't put too much pressure on herself, I promise.  If they are, or become, helicopter parents who are living vicariously through her golf or see her as their golden ticket, then there will be problems no matter what she does at Pinehurst.  If they are handling this as it comes and letting her be 11 in the way that she wants to be 11, then it'll be ok.

[David Bartman]

The course is set up for US Open qualifying is generally between 6100-6300 yards so distance is not a major factor.   She made match play last year in the US Women's Public Links so its not as if she hasn't had some USGA experience.  

The US Open could be different beast, if the course is firm and fast they may set it up as long as 6600-6700, but I wouldn't bet on it.  When I caddied in the US Women's Open at the Broadmoor the scorecard showed just under 6900, but almost every tee was up during the event 10 yards so it was more like 6750 and obviously at altitude.  

It will be interesting to see what they do with 2,5,11,14 and 16 for the women.  I played in the 08' AM at Pinehurst and they didn't do us any favors, over 7200 yards par 70.  
  

[David_Tepper]

It is also worth noting that Ms. Li won the Sectional Qualifying by 7 shots.

I saw a very good 8th grade girl (who could not have weighed much more than 100 lbs.) shoot a couple over par in the qualifying for the Women's Championship flight for the San Francisco City a few months ago. I thought that was pretty impressive. Now that pales in comparison. 

[Garland Bayley]

Did not Morgan Pressel qualify at age 11?
Was not Morgan short off the tee?
Is it too easy to get into our national championship with just a few hot rounds?

[David_Tepper]

"Is it too easy to get into our national championship with just a few hot rounds?"

No, it is not.

[Ronald Montesano]

http://www.golfwrx.com/210813/11-year-old-qualifies-for-the-u-s-womens-open/

[Richard Hetzel]

Did not Morgan Pressel qualify at age 11?
Was not Morgan short off the tee?
Is it too easy to get into our national championship with just a few hot rounds?

Previous record was Lexi Thompson, age 12. Morgan Pressel qualified at age 12 as well, but was 13 when she played in US Womens Open.

[Phil McDade]

Did not Morgan Pressel qualify at age 11?
Was not Morgan short off the tee?
Is it too easy to get into our national championship with just a few hot rounds?

Previous record was Lexi Thompson, age 12.

Both of whom -- Lexi and Li -- have (had) no business playing in the national championship.

The USGA should be ashamed for allowing a 5th grader to play in the US Open.

[Richard Hetzel]

The USGA should be ashamed for allowing a 5th grader to play in the US Open.

Totally agree, I would think there should be a minimum age, say 16.

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

For those who want age restrictions, then the tournament needs to be renamed.  The older players failed to post scores good enough to exclude these very young players!

[Garland Bayley]

For those who want age restrictions, then the tournament needs to be renamed.  The older players failed to post scores good enough to exclude these very young players!

Fifth graders are women?

[Phil McDade]

For those who want age restrictions, then the tournament needs to be renamed.  The older players failed to post scores good enough to exclude these very young players!

Really? No age restrictions of any kind? (The re-naming you suggest I'm guessing is a red herring...) It's OK to trot out a 10-year-old? A 9-year-old? Younger?

The USGA has now put itself in a position where it is explicitly supporting the idea that a 5th grader (someone five years removed from even her diver's license) should be on the receiving end of a disproportionate amount of media coverage, scrutiny and analysis of her game, her demeanor and her success (or lack of it) -- all due to her establishing a record of the most dubious kind.

[Brent Hutto]

No, the USGA is taking the position that their Open is indeed open to whichever amateur golfer has the skills necessary to qualify. Even if they are 8 years old or 80 years old. It's not the US Adult Womens Open.

I think if this says anything bad about anyone it's that all those 25 or 35 year old women golfers ought to get their asses in gear and work on their games. If an 11-year-old is better than all those grown-ups you can hardly blame her for wanting to compete at the highest level.

What would you guys rather see here do. Waste her time dinking it around with a bunch of AJGA geeks her own age who can't play anything like as well as Miss Li?

[Garland Bayley]

...
What would you guys rather see here do. Waste her time dinking it around with a bunch of AJGA geeks her own age who can't play anything like as well as Miss Li?

Seems to me that it worked for Tiger.

[BCowan]

The qualifying yardages seem way too short, that doesn't make any sense.  My guess is avg LPGA event is somewhere around 6600 yards now.  US Woman's has no 2nd stage? 

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Tiger tried unsuccessfully for the US Am once or twice and the US Open a couple of times.  Also ,  he never beat Pat Perez as a junior and Pat never played in a US Junior, so he had competition in his age range.  It so happens that Li plays in whatever quality event possible.

[BCowan]

No, the USGA is taking the position that their Open is indeed open to whichever amateur golfer has the skills necessary to qualify. Even if they are 8 years old or 80 years old. It's not the US Adult Womens Open.

I think if this says anything bad about anyone it's that all those 25 or 35 year old women golfers ought to get their asses in gear and work on their games. If an 11-year-old is better than all those grown-ups you can hardly blame her for wanting to compete at the highest level.

What would you guys rather see here do. Waste her time dinking it around with a bunch of AJGA geeks her own age who can't play anything like as well as Miss Li?

I can't believe it, but i agree with Brent 100%
limiting a field to age is chicken shit! 

[A.G._Crockett]

Did not Morgan Pressel qualify at age 11?
Was not Morgan short off the tee?
Is it too easy to get into our national championship with just a few hot rounds?

Previous record was Lexi Thompson, age 12.

Both of whom -- Lexi and Li -- have (had) no business playing in the national championship.

The USGA should be ashamed for allowing a 5th grader to play in the US Open.

Maybe you could elaborate. 

I don't see the problem, since we have to assume that each of these three would be (or would have been) playing competitive golf anyway.  One could, in fact, make the argument that there is LESS pressure rather than more in playing against older, bigger, stronger players than in events against your age group where anything other than dominating might be viewed as a failure.

IF there is a problem here, it will come from the parents and it will be a problem no matter where she plays.  If, on the other hand, the parents are handling it well and the kid is having fun, I just don't see the issue.

(Disclaimer:  I was a junior tennis player many, many years ago, I am the father of a travel baseball and HS baseball player fewer years ago, and I was a HS basketball coach for 39 years.  I've seen every possible shading of these situations and it is ever and always a matter of parenting.  It can be done well, or it can be done poorly.)

[jeffwarne]

The USGA should be ashamed for allowing a 5th grader to play in the US Open.
[/quote]

Totally agree, I would think there should be a minimum age, say 16.
[/quote]

It's an OPEN.
that means it's OPEN.
I listened to multiple NONSENSE arguments today on Sirius about why there should be a minimum age for OPENS and other Tour events.
they kept trotting out examples of players who peaked early and burned out.
Are there not plenty of other burnouts in high school who accomplish NOTHING ever in their lives?
I keep hearing she's not mentally ready to deal with all that goes with playing in a US Open.
two months ago they would've been saying she's not physically capable.

Ever occur to any of the pessimists that can't play 18 holes within 10-20 shots of Lucy Li that they may never EVER be at her mental or maturity level either?
Amazing how people know what's best for others---rather than judge, why not step back, watch and admire?

[Jud_T]

Jeff,

My thoughts exactly.  This gives me a reason to watch the damned thing.  I'm rooting for her to make the cut.

[Garland Bayley]

It's an OPEN.
that means it's OPEN.
I listened to multiple NONSENSE arguments today on Sirius about why there should be a minimum age for OPENS and other Tour events.
they kept trotting out examples of players who peaked early and burned out.
Are there not plenty of other burnouts in high school who accomplish NOTHING ever in their lives?
I keep hearing she's not mentally ready to deal with all that goes with playing in a US Open.
two months ago they would've been saying she's not physically capable.

Ever occur to any of the pessimists that can't play 18 holes within 10-20 shots of Lucy Li that they may never EVER be at her mental or maturity level either?
Amazing how people know what's best for others-rather than judge, why not step back, watch and admire?

What I see is a bunch of blue coats that can't sell out their top female championship, so they are happy to take money from the people that would otherwise not attend a US Women's Open, but will show up to see Lexi Thompson, or Michelle Wie play as pre or newby teens against the women.

They certainly took advantage of it at Michelle's first US Open here in Portland.

[jeffwarne]

Jeff,

My thoughts exactly.  This gives me a reason to watch the damned thing.  I'm rooting for her to make the cut.

Imagine telling someone who won their qualifier by 7 shots (7 FREAKING SHOTS) she was too young.
It's a tournament, not a tour, or a contract.

It seems to me Michelle Wie has matured into a very nice, personable , well adjusted world class athlete.
just another route to get there, even if she did play in a couple too many men's events.
Beats doing drugs and about a million other bad things she could've been doing.