PRETEEN PHENOM GETS TO TEE IT UP WITH PROS
CP Women’s Open to include the nation’s top amateur: a 12-year-old from Vancouver
When Vancouver’s Michelle Liu qualified for the CP Women’s Open last week, most of her friends hadn’t even heard of the 47-year-old tournament.
That’s because Michelle’s friends, like her, are heading into Grade 8.
“But they saw a couple Youtube clips and were like, ‘Oh wow, Michelle, you’re so awesome,’” Liu told Postmedia.
“My golfing friends, though, I think it really surprised them, too.”
In fact, it surprised everyone when the 12-year-old golfer earned a spot in the national open by finishing as top Canadian at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in Red Deer, Alta. Liu finished tied for 12th, posting a four-round 1-over-par total of 289 at the 6,492-yard course.
“I didn’t expect to play that well, especially because the yardage was so long there,” Liu said.
Entering the final round at 1 under after shooting 72-70-73 over the first three days, Liu got off to a rocky start Friday when she bogeyed three of the first four holes.
Instead of getting down on herself, the young golfer steadied the ship and finished strong, making three birdies over her final five holes to shoot 74. Her 1-over total was a stroke better than Quebec’s Brigitte Thibault, who is a member of the Fresno State golf team, and has Liu heading to Magna Golf Club north of Toronto for the LPGA’S CP Women’s Open in three weeks.
“I’m looking forward to playing the golf course there,” she said. “And I’m also looking forward to playing with some really well-known golfers, like Brooke Henderson, so I can hopefully learn something about why they are so good.”
At 12 years old, Liu will be the youngest person to play in the tournament. In 2012, Henderson played in the national open as a 14-year-old.
Liu’s parents Jenny and Jian aren’t golfers, but her older sister Lucy was interested in the sport, so Michelle tagged along to a golf summer camp at a local course.
“I was five, I think,” she said. “I think it took me a while. I played for 11/2 years before I started competitive golf.”
Liu said the strength of her game is her accuracy off the tee and that she can drive the ball about 230 yards depending on the weather and course conditions. In case long-suffering weekend golfers don’t feel bad enough yet, her lowest 18-hole score is 8 under par at Rancho Bernardo Inn golf course in California.
Does the preteen phenom have any tips for golfers who have been playing the game without much improvement for decades? She does and unfortunately it’s probably what you’ve been avoiding for years.
“I’d say that putting is the most game-changing part of golf that can really push your score lower, so spend more time practising putting,” Liu said.
The Vancouver native plays other sports at school, but prefers the slower pace and social aspect of golf.
“I think golf gives you time to think about everything,” she said. “I think it’s also great that you get to talk to your competitors over a round of golf and you can learn things. In sports like basketball, you don’t really talk to the other team.”
As for this surprise opportunity to play against the best players in the world in an LPGA tournament, Liu hasn’t set any goals other than to leave Magna Golf Club thinking she played the best she could.
“I think it’s a new level for me and really puts into perspective how great I can be in the future,” she said.
This week, Liu is competing in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Lethbridge, Alta.
She opened with a 1-over-par 73 Tuesday and was tied for 18th in the 120-player field heading into Wednesday’s second round.
“Yeah, not my best, but pretty good,” she said.
And the future?
“I hope to become a professional golfer one day and play on the LPGA,” Liu said. “I hope to be just as great, but not better than Brooke Henderson.”