# Lucy Li
**Lucy Li** is an American professional golfer who first joined the LPGA Tour in 2023 and is best known for setting age records as a junior player, including becoming the youngest qualifier in the history of the [U.S. Women's Open](https://www.edgepedia.org/u-s-womens-open) at 11 years, 8 months and 19 days in 2014.[1](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2021/u-s--womens-open/players/2021-u-s--women-s-open--lucy-li.html) She is from Redwood City in the [San Francisco Bay Area](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-bay-area), California.[2](https://www.usga.org/articles/2013/06/wapls-youngest-competitor-lucy-li-focused-on-having-fun-21474856604.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Youngest U.S. Women's Open qualifier | 11 years, 8 months, 19 days, in 2014 at Pinehurst[1](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2021/u-s--womens-open/players/2021-u-s--women-s-open--lucy-li.html) |
| Youngest U.S. Women's Amateur qualifier | 10 years, 10 months, 4 days, in August 2013[3](https://www.golfchannel.com/news/article-golftalkcentral-li-10-youngest-ever-make-us-womens-amateur) |
| Turned professional | November 2019, at age 17, joining the Symetra Tour[4](https://www.amateurgolf.com/rankings/13397/lucy-li) |
| LPGA Tour | Rookie year 2023; through the 2026 season, no tour win[5](https://www.lpga.com/athletes/lucy-li/98422/results) • [6](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/us-womens-open-qualifiers-2026) |
| 2026 season | 20 starts, 11 cuts made, 1 top 10, low round 65, $447.1K official earnings[5](https://www.lpga.com/athletes/lucy-li/98422/results) |
| Best major form | Tied for second after 54 holes of the 2026 AIG Women's Open; T12 at the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship[7](https://www.golfmonthly.com/tour/who-is-lucy-lis-caddie) |
| Team event | Member of the victorious 2018 USA Curtis Cup team (17-3 over Great Britain & Ireland)[1](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2021/u-s--womens-open/players/2021-u-s--women-s-open--lucy-li.html) |
## Junior records
Li took up golf after following her older brother Luke around a course, taking her first swing while waiting for him to finish a tournament; her mother, Amy Zeng Li, took her to teacher Jim McLean for an assessment, and McLean remained her instructor through her junior years.[2](https://www.usga.org/articles/2013/06/wapls-youngest-competitor-lucy-li-focused-on-having-fun-21474856604.html)
Her record-setting run began in 2013. Aged 10 years, 8 months, and 16 days, she qualified for match play, making her the youngest ever to do so in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links and beating [Michelle Wie](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-wie-west)'s 2000 mark by 7 days.[1](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2021/u-s--womens-open/players/2021-u-s--women-s-open--lucy-li.html) In August 2013 she became the youngest ever to qualify for the U.S. Women's Amateur, at 10 years, 10 months and 4 days, barely surpassing the mark set the previous year by Latanna Stone.[3](https://www.golfchannel.com/news/article-golftalkcentral-li-10-youngest-ever-make-us-womens-amateur) That same year she became the youngest player in the 45-year history of the California Women's Amateur to make the cut.[2](https://www.usga.org/articles/2013/06/wapls-youngest-competitor-lucy-li-focused-on-having-fun-21474856604.html)
In April 2014 she competed in the national finals of the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at [Augusta National Golf Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/augusta-national-golf-club) and won the Girls' 10-11 division.[8](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucy-li-remains-an-amateur-after-usga-gives-her-one-time-warning-for-participation-in-apple-watch-ad) • [9](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/the-masters-drive-chip-and-putt-how-it-works-format-and-notable-past-players)
## The 2014 U.S. Women's Open
In May 2014, a sixth-grader from Redwood Shores, California, qualified for the U.S. Women's Open with rounds of 74 and 68 on the par-72 Old Course at Half Moon Bay, passing [Lexi Thompson](https://www.edgepedia.org/lexi-thompson) (12 years, 4 months, 18 days) as the youngest qualifier in the championship's history.[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2014/05/20/meet-lucy-li-the-11-year-old-who-qualified-for-the-u-s-womens-open/) At the championship itself, held at Pinehurst, she teed off as the youngest-ever player in U.S. Women's Open history.[11](https://time.com/2901169/lucy-li-us-open-golf/) She was not, however, the youngest competitor ever in the event: 10-year-old Beverly Klass played in 1967, before a qualification process existed.[12](https://time.com/107653/lucy-li-qualifies-us-open/)
The qualifying record still stood as of 2026, when 10-year-old Cheetah Baez entered U.S. Women's Open qualifying seeking to take it from Li.[6](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/us-womens-open-qualifiers-2026)
## Amateur career
Li remained an amateur into her late teens and played in 14 USGA championships as an amateur.[8](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucy-li-remains-an-amateur-after-usga-gives-her-one-time-warning-for-participation-in-apple-watch-ad) In 2018 she helped the USA to a 17-3 Curtis Cup victory over Great Britain & Ireland at Quaker Ridge Golf Club.[1](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2021/u-s--womens-open/players/2021-u-s--women-s-open--lucy-li.html) That year the USGA gave her a one-time warning after she appeared in an [Apple Watch](https://www.edgepedia.org/apple-watch) advertisement, allowing her to retain amateur status and play in the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur the following spring.[8](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucy-li-remains-an-amateur-after-usga-gives-her-one-time-warning-for-participation-in-apple-watch-ad)
As a junior she won the 2017 Ping Invitational and Rolex Tournament of Champions.[13](https://www.golfchannel.com/news/lucy-li-who-qualified-uswo-11-now-18yearold-pro-and-wants-more-ice-cream) In November 2019, at 17, she went through LPGA Q-Series and turned professional, joining the Symetra Tour, the LPGA's developmental circuit.[4](https://www.amateurgolf.com/rankings/13397/lucy-li) Her professional debut was inauspicious: a three-over 75 at the Florida's Natural Charity Classic.[14](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucy-li-makes-her-professional-debut-at-symetra-tour-event)
## LPGA Tour career
Li earned LPGA Tour membership for the 2023 season.[5](https://www.lpga.com/athletes/lucy-li/98422/results) She has since established herself on tour without yet winning: as of April 2026 she was still without an LPGA Tour victory and ranked 94th in the world.[6](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/us-womens-open-qualifiers-2026) Her strong finishes include T12 at the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.[7](https://www.golfmonthly.com/tour/who-is-lucy-lis-caddie) In October 2025, at the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea, she made a hole-in-one with a 7-iron at the 155-yard 13th at Pine Beach Golf Links.[15](https://www.aigwomensopen.com/players/lucy-li) A weekend climb at the 2025 Blue Bay LPGA clinched her a spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.[16](https://www.lpga.com/tags/lucy-li)
**2026 season.** Through 20 starts Li had made 11 cuts with one top 10, a low round of 65, and $447.1K in official earnings.[5](https://www.lpga.com/athletes/lucy-li/98422/results) Her best result came at the biggest stage available to her that summer. After 54 holes of the 2026 AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, she was tied for second, three shots behind leader Yealimi Noh, in a chasing group that also included Shiho Kuwaki, Jeeno Thitikul, Ryu Haeran, and Esther Henseleit.[7](https://www.golfmonthly.com/tour/who-is-lucy-lis-caddie) • [17](https://as.com/masdeporte/golf/yealimi-noh-lidera-el-open-britanico-a-falta-de-una-jornada-f202608-n/) She finished the championship tied for 16th at one over par, earning $126,501.[5](https://www.lpga.com/athletes/lucy-li/98422/results) For that edition her caddie was Paul Drummond, a Scot who had worked as a club caddie at [Carnoustie](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnoustie) for 16 years and previously caddied for Lexi Thompson; earlier in her career she had worked with Bryan Bush and John Pavelko.[7](https://www.golfmonthly.com/tour/who-is-lucy-lis-caddie)
## The prodigy label
Li has spoken about the burden of early fame. In a Golf Digest feature she described how being labeled a prodigy had not been easy and how she lost, then recovered, her love of the game; she also said she hoped someday to apply her degree in the tech, climate change, or venture-capital spaces.[18](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/journeys-lucy-li-labeled-a-prodigy-confidence-mickey-wright)
## References
1. [Player Bio: Lucy Li, 2021 U.S. Women's Open, USGA](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2021/u-s--womens-open/players/2021-u-s--women-s-open--lucy-li.html)
2. [WAPL's Youngest Competitor Lucy Li Focused On Having Fun, USGA (June 17, 2013)](https://www.usga.org/articles/2013/06/wapls-youngest-competitor-lucy-li-focused-on-having-fun-21474856604.html)
3. [Li, 10, youngest ever to make U.S. Women's Amateur, Golf Channel](https://www.golfchannel.com/news/article-golftalkcentral-li-10-youngest-ever-make-us-womens-amateur)
4. [Lucy Li, Amateur Golf Profile & Rankings, AmateurGolf.com](https://www.amateurgolf.com/rankings/13397/lucy-li)
5. [Lucy Li Results, LPGA](https://www.lpga.com/athletes/lucy-li/98422/results)
6. [Lexi Thompson, Solheim Cup Stars And A 10-Year-Old Sign Up For US Women's Open Qualifying, Golf Monthly](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/us-womens-open-qualifiers-2026)
7. [Who Is Lucy Li's Caddie?, Golf Monthly](https://www.golfmonthly.com/tour/who-is-lucy-lis-caddie)
8. [Lucy Li remains an amateur after USGA gives her one-time warning for participation in Apple Watch ad, Golf Digest](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucy-li-remains-an-amateur-after-usga-gives-her-one-time-warning-for-participation-in-apple-watch-ad)
9. [The Masters Drive, Chip And Putt: How It Works, Format And Notable Past Players, Golf Monthly](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/the-masters-drive-chip-and-putt-how-it-works-format-and-notable-past-players)
10. [Meet Lucy Li, the 11-year-old who qualified for the U.S. Women's Open, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2014/05/20/meet-lucy-li-the-11-year-old-who-qualified-for-the-u-s-womens-open/)
11. [PHOTO: 11-Year-Old Tees Off as Youngest-Ever Player in U.S. Women's Open History, TIME](https://time.com/2901169/lucy-li-us-open-golf/)
12. [See Lucy Li, the Youngest U.S. Open Qualifier Ever, in Action, TIME](https://time.com/107653/lucy-li-qualifies-us-open/)
13. [Lucy Li, who qualified for the USWO at 11, is now an 18-year-old pro, Golf Channel](https://www.golfchannel.com/news/lucy-li-who-qualified-uswo-11-now-18yearold-pro-and-wants-more-ice-cream)
14. [Lucy Li's professional debut was less than stellar, Golf Digest](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/lucy-li-makes-her-professional-debut-at-symetra-tour-event)
15. [Lucy Li, Player Profile, AIG Women's Open](https://www.aigwomensopen.com/players/lucy-li)
16. [Lucy Li tag page, LPGA](https://www.lpga.com/tags/lucy-li)
17. [Yealimi Noh lidera el Open Británico a falta de una jornada, AS](https://as.com/masdeporte/golf/yealimi-noh-lidera-el-open-britanico-a-falta-de-una-jornada-f202608-n/)
18. ['Being Labeled a Prodigy Hasn't Been Easy': Lucy Li's up-and-down love of golf, Golf Digest](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/journeys-lucy-li-labeled-a-prodigy-confidence-mickey-wright)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Golf*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license