Plauderecke » U.S. Womens Amateur as the youngest

Billy Payne wore a smile as wide as the Augusta National fairways as he watched eight kids file out of the room with their trophies from the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship on the Sunday before the Masters. "Were going to be hearing from some of these kids again," he said. Yes, but six weeks later? An 11-year-old girl who won her age group in the youth competition before the Masters has played her way into the U.S. Womens Open next month at Pinehurst No. 2. Lucy Li, a sixth grader with braces and a sharp short game, made history Monday at Half Moon Bay with rounds of 74-68 to become the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Womens Open. Not only did she earn a spot at the biggest event in womens golf, she won the 36-hole qualifier by seven shots. Its another example that golf has no age limits. The record for youngest qualifier had belonged to Lexi Thompson, who was 12 when she made it to the 2007 Womens Open at Pine Needles. Its only fitting that when Li signed up for the Drive, Chip and Putt, she listed Thompson as among her favourite players. Li, from the suburbs south of San Francisco, still wont be the youngest player. Beverly Klass was 10 when she played in 1967, but that was when the U.S. Womens Open didnt have qualifying. Judy Rankin was a 14-year-old prodigy from Missouri when she entered the 1959 U.S. Womens Open at Churchill Valley Country Club in Pittsburgh. "When I went to register, they asked me if I was registering for my mother," Rankin said Tuesday. "I weighed 80 pounds. I remember the first tee was way up high. I was shaking. I was so scared, so nervous. I thought I could fall off. I didnt even make the cut. I was probably ill-prepared to be playing. But the next year, I was low amateur." Teenagers in the U.S. Womens Open are nothing new. Morgan Pressel, who went on to become the youngest major champion in LPGA Tour history at 18, qualified for the U.S. Womens Open in 2001 when she 12. Michelle Wie was 12 when she qualified for her first LPGA Tour event, and she was in the final group at a major when she was 13. Lydia Ko was 15 when she won the Canadian Womens Open two years ago, making her the youngest winner in LPGA history. Now shes in range of becoming No. 1 in the world. In mens golf, Matteo Manassero won twice on the European Tour before he had his drivers license. Ryo Ishikawa won his first professional tournament when he was 15. Jordan Spieth nearly won the Masters last month at age 20. And who can forget Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old from China who made the cut at the Masters last year? Even so, two numbers are enough to get anyones attention — "11" and "sixth grade." "This is ridiculous," Dottie Pepper said Tuesday, more amazed than concerned. Earlier in the day, Pepper was on Twitter and tried to get her head around an 11-year-old teeing it up at Pinehurst No. 2 when she noted that Lis date of birth was "THIS CENTURY. Whoa!" Rankin and Pepper both attributed the increasing achievements by teens — pre-teens in Lis case — to modern equipment and coaching. Li began playing when she was 7 by whacking a few golf balls on the range while waiting for her brother and cousin to finish a golf tournament. She now works with Jim McLean. And this is not the first time Li has written herself into USGA history. She set a record last year in the U.S. Womens Amateur as the youngest qualifier at age 10. She also was the youngest in the U.S. Womens Amateur Public Links to reach match play, losing in the first round to a college player. "For people with talent, regardless of age, todays equipment is making the game a lot easier to learn," Rankin said. "For talented people, they are learning the game quicker and easier. That has a big bearing on it." Rankin also points to the very best in golf being on television so often, and the fact that kids copy what they see. "No one in the world is better at mimicking than children," she said. "I can go way back to a friend of mine from U.S. Amateur days, Helen Sigel Wilson. She always said the way to teach a kid how to play good golf is only let them see great players. They can figure it out." Sooner than later, thats what theyre doing. Wholesale Stan Smith . -- LeGarrette Blount made one last big splash into a soggy end zone. Stan Smith Clearance . "[People] keep asking that question and its not a legit question because we dont have that right, we havent arrived yet," Casey responded. "Weve got to take each game at a time, each possession at a time and look at it that way. http://www.wholesalestansmith.com/ . - The situation looked bleak at best for the coach Doc Rivers Clippers — down by four points with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Discount Stan Smith . Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. Cheap Stan Smith Free Shipping .com) - Marian Gaborik scored his sixth goal in the last four games to help the Los Angeles Kings top the Arizona Coyotes, 4-2, Saturday at Staples Center.HONOLULU -- Fans soaking up the sun along the shores of Oahu took home plenty of memories Friday in the Sony Open, the least of which was Brian Stuard atop the leaderboard with this fourth straight round of 65 at Waialae. Stuard finished the second round with a hybrid into 2 feet for eagle, giving him a one-shot lead over Marc Leishman of Australia and Hideto Tanihara of Japan. The best stuff came later. James Hahn, best known for his "Gangnam Style" moves after making birdie at the raucous 16th hole at the Phoenix Open last year, tried (and failed) for a chest-bump with his caddie after the rarest shot in golf -- an albatross -- when he holed out from 191 yards with a 6-iron on the par-5 ninth hole. "That was a little spontaneous, but I forgot that -- Ive got to be politically correct, right? -- but white men cant jump," said Hahn, a South Korean-born, Cal grad and funnyman on tour. "So I got a little air, he didnt. But it was fun. I dont think he knew I was going to chest-bump him. But thats just what I felt like at the time." The big attraction was having surf champion Kelly Slater in the gallery for the final hour, even though he was there to watch a caddie. Fellow surfer Benji Weatherley is on the bag this week for Masters champion Adam Scott, and he had a blast in front of two dozen friends from the North Shore. But this golf is serious business, and Weatherley showed great confidence talking Scott out of a driver on the 18th hole. "Hes really getting the hang of it," Scott said. Scott took over from there, getting a break on the last hole when his ball was in a partial divot. Scott was able to take a free drop away from the grandstand, and while his chip came out strong, it banged against the bottom of the flagstick and stopped an inch from the hole for a tap-in birdie and a 66. Scott was only three shots behind. Weatherley was having a blast. "Its the most fun you could ever have," he said. "I have no nerves because for one, hes so good its embarrassing. Like every single shot is what you see on Sports Center, especially that last one." He said this during an interview with the Golf Channel. Meanwhile, another good tournament was shapping up in Hawaii.dddddddddddd Stuard was at 10-under 130. Those four straight rounds of 65 ordinarily might be good enough to win a tournament. Except that the first half of that streak happened on the weekend at Waialae last year. Even so, it was enough for him to be in the lead going into the weekend. It was his seventh straight round in the 60s at Waialae dating to Stuards first trip here in 2010. "I think its something to do with the greens," Stuard said. "I feel comfortable on the greens. I feel like I read them pretty well and Im able to make putts." Leishman also made an eagle on the ninth hole, but that was in the middle of his round. And it was part of a three-hole stretch he played in 4-under, and he made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole. It led to a 64 that put him in a good spot going into the weekend. "Theyre the sort of things that really turn an average round into a good one, or a good one into a great one," Leishman said. "It was nice to shoot 6-under and get myself right in it." Tanihara had a 65 and will join Leishman and Stuard in the final group Saturday. The tee times were moved up for the third round because of rain in the forecast. Harris English had his second straight round of 66 and was two shots behind, poised to go for his third win in his last 16 starts. "I hit it all over the map," English said. "Yesterday, I striped it down the middle and didnt make any putts. Today, 4-under was the lowest I could have shot." He was scrambling so far that he didnt realize until the end of his round that he had a glove on his left hand, and another one tucked under the back of his belt. This was not a new craze, like Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey with gloves on both hands. English was letting it dry out and forgot about it. Joining Scott in the group three shots behind were Jimmy Walker and Chris Kirk, while Hudson Swafford (64), Justin Leonard and past Sony Open champion Jerry Kelly were still in the mix at 6-under 134. Kapalua winner Zach Johnson, trying to become the first player since Ernie Els in 2003 to sweep the Hawaii swing, had a 67 and was five shots behind. Hahn also was 5-under after a 68. ' ' '