Lucy Li has been a name to watch out for since she broke onto the scene at the early age of 11 after qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2 in North Carolina. Fast-forward six years later and Li was competing on the Epson Tour, fighting to make her way to the LPGA Tour.
Li had a strong start to her professional career, finishing 8th in the 2020 Race for the Card on the Epson Tour, but with restricted events due to COVID-19, LPGA Tour cards were given to the top five on the Official Money List instead of the usual top 10. In 2021, Li had a season that was not up to her standards, finishing 49th in the Race, but, in 2022, Li finally showed the potential she always had, winning twice on the Epson Tour and securing the No. 1 spot in the Race for the Card, earning LPGA Tour Membership for the 2023 season.
She took on the LPGA Tour as a 20-year-old and started her rookie season in impressive fashion, making the cut in seven of her first eight events, with a season-best finish of T18 that came at the DIO Implant LA Open. Li started to sputter at the midway point of the season, missing cuts and not getting the results she was looking for when she did make it to the weekend. Ultimately, Li fell short of maintaining her status for next season but earned a spot in 2023 LPGA Q-Series, where through three rounds, the California native is showing her resiliency.
“It was a tough year for me, but definitely coming in at the very end of the year I learned a lot of stuff,” Li said when asked about her rookie season on the LPGA Tour. “I started out the year really good actually and kind of just lost myself in the middle. So, I feel like a lot of those lessons I learned this year are going to be really helpful for next year. Feel like I finally have gotten over the mental aspect of it, which is good.”
Li is tied for eighth at the midway point of LPGA Q-Series, which would see her regain full status on the LPGA Tour if she can maintain her position. The now 21-year-old fired back-to-back 67s in her second and third rounds at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove to get to 10-under for the tournament. She now joins eight others who are in double-digits under par for the week and is finally starting to feel comfortable on the course again.
“I feel really good. I feel really comfortable on the courses, which hasn't happened in a while. I'm just happy to keep going and doing what I'm doing,” said Li. “Hitting a lot of greens. I hit 17 yesterday and 15 today. Actually got really unlucky. I probably would've gone bogey-free today too, but it hit a sprinkler head on 17 and went like 20 yards over the green, so that was unlucky. I felt relaxed this week, so going to keep doing the same thing I've been doing.”
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