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. Kansas City Royals Shirts . "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. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. Royals Jerseys China . The Kelowna, B.C. rink made the announcement on their facebook page on Thursday night. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . Sizemore, who turned 29 on Jan. 4, has been limited to six games over the past two seasons because of an injured left knee that twice required surgery. He originally got hurt on Feb. 25, 2012, during a fielding drill in Oaklands first full-squad spring training workout and had surgery that March 21 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Two days before Anaheim visits the Los Angeles Kings for their high-profile showcase under the stars, the Ducks showed theyre willing to get just as gritty as their rivals to grind out a win. Patrick Maroon scored the tiebreaking goal on a wraparound late in the second period, and the Ducks beat the Kings 2-1 on Thursday night in the prelude to the clubs landmark outdoor game this weekend. Frederik Andersen made 30 saves and Dustin Penner scored a power-play goal in the 20th victory in 23 games for the NHL-leading Ducks, who dialed down their high-octane offensive game and matched the Kings usual grit in a hard-hitting, bad-tempered meeting. Offence was scarce when the Southern California clubs warmed up for their visit to Dodger Stadium on Saturday, and the high-scoring Ducks didnt mind at all. "We can play any style," Ducks defenceman Ben Lovejoy said. "We can play with speed teams because we have that speed and skill, and we can match up with the big, physical teams like L.A. I dont think we beat them at their own game. I think we imposed the kind of game we wanted in the second and third." After a scoreless third period, Anaheim improved to 21-1-2 at Honda Center two days after its first home regulation loss. The Ducks are rolling into the first warm-weather outdoor game in NHL history with a five-point lead over Chicago in the overall standings and a 17-point margin over third-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division. A few minor skirmishes in the third period suggested tempers will run high in the rematch -- exactly the NHLs intention in scheduling back-to-back meetings. The Kings and Ducks will hold separate workouts Friday on the new rink in the middle of the historic baseball park. "Theres nothing we see out of them that we dont already know," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "Theyre a good, strong team that plays physical hockey ... but we can play that, too." Anze Kopitar scored early in the first period and Jonathan Quick stopped 19 shots for the Kings, who have lost four straight. Los Angeles hasnt won since officials in Detroit blew the call on an obviously illegal tying goal by Niklas Kronwall inn an eventual shootout loss to the Red Wings last Saturday. Royals Jerseys 2019. "I think everybody in this room knows we can and weve got to play better," Kopitar said. "So the pressure is a little bit bigger, for sure, but were going to get through this together. ... In the third, it was more like us -- pressing, puck possession, spending time in their zone. But we came up short. Its something we have to learn from. We cant give up soft goals and easy goals." Just 3:13 into this meeting, Kopitar ended a personal 10-game goal drought when the Ducks left him alone near the net to bang home a cross-ice pass for his 14th goal. Kopitar is the only NHL player on Slovenias first Olympic hockey team, and he leads the Kings in scoring for the seventh consecutive season. Neither team mounted much offence in the first 30 minutes, but Penner hurt his former teammates by shoving home a rebound 10 seconds into another power play late in the second period. Penner scored 11 goals in parts of three seasons with the Kings before scoring 12 goals already this season for the Ducks, who re-signed him last summer. Maroon then put the Ducks ahead, forcing a bad pass by Willie Mitchell before getting the puck down low and wrapping it around for his fourth goal -- just his second since late October. "Weve got to try to take a few positives out of tonight and come back Saturday," Kings forward Trevor Lewis said. "We obviously need the points more than they do. After a loss like this, you always want to get right back after them, so its good that weve got them again in two days." Until Winnipegs 3-2 victory on Tuesday snapped the Ducks 22-game home points streak to open the season, Los Angeles was the last visiting team to win at Honda Center, taking a shootout victory Dec. 3. NOTES: The Ducks scratched forwards Daniel Winnik and Kyle Palmieri. Coach Bruce Boudreau also gave a day off to starting goalie Jonas Hiller, who acknowledged being distracted by the looming outdoor game in Tuesdays loss to Winnipeg. ... Los Angeles D Matt Greene missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Andersen leads the NHLs rookie goalies with 13 wins. ' ' '