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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. Cheap Air Max 1 Online .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. Discount Air Max 1 . -- Caris LeVert had 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and No. http://www.airmax1wholesale.com/. Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Air Max 1 Wholesale Cheap . The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. Air Max 1 Wholesale .A. Happ. The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to improve the starting rotation ahead of next season and pitchers like Happ have a chance to show they belong as the disastrous 2013 campaign draws to a close.LOS ANGELES -- David Legwands second goal of the game with 3:56 left lifted the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Legwand and Shea Weber scored power-play goals in the first period, Eric Nystrom also scored, and Patric Hornqvist had three assists. Carter Hutton made 35 saves in his fourth straight start since Pekka Rinne went on the injured list because of an infection in his surgically repaired hip. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Mike Richards scored for the Kings, and Jonathan Quick faced only 17 shots. Centre Jeff Carter, who had a hat trick against Nashville the last time the Predators visited Los Angeles on March 4, was placed on the injured list Saturday with a lower-body injury sustained in Wednesdays overtime victory against San Jose. Trailing 3-1 after two periods despite outshooting Nashville 24-11, the Kings got closer at 9:41 of the third when Brown threw the puck toward the net from the left boards, and it found its way inside the post. Richards tied it for the Kings on the rebound of a wrist shot by Tyler during a power play at 11:18, but Legwand restored the Predators lead for good. Legwand converted a rebound of Mattias Ekholms long slap shot after Paul Gaustad won a faceoff deep in the Kings zone. Los Angeles outshot Nashville 14-6 in the first, but trailed 2-1 after the Predators connected on their two power plays of the period. Rich Clune, claimed off waivers from the Kings last January, received a misconduct for instigating a fight with Daniel Carcillo at 7:28 of the period after Carcillos hard open-ice hit against defenceman Roman Josi. It was Josis second game back after missing 10 with a cconcussion.dddddddddddd Carcillo received an additional penalty for kneeing, so the teams continued skating 5-on-5 until about 3 minutes later when Kings defenceman Slava Voynov was sent off for tripping Nystrom. The Predators capitalized on the ensuing power play as Legwand sent a wrist shot from the slot past the screened Quick. Los Angeles forward Kyle Clifford got a boarding penalty after his check on Craig Smith, and Weber connected with 53 seconds left in the first. The Kings closed within 2-1 just 16 seconds later when Kopitar put in a rebound of Jake Muzzins long wrist shot. Nashville restored its two-goal lead 8:41 into the second period. Los Angeles defenceman Drew Doughty had the puck in the left corner and tried a backhanded clearing pass around the boards, but the puck struck referee Mike Hasenfratz. Hornqvist then set up Nystrom in front of the net. NOTES: Los Angeles C Jarret Stoll, who won all five faceoffs he took in the first period, played only a minute in the second period before leaving with an undisclosed injury. ... Los Angeles C Tyler Toffoli and RW Linden Vey were called up from Manchester (AHL). D Keaton Ellerby was claimed off waivers by Winnipeg. ... Nashville C Matt Hendricks missed the game because of an upper-body injury sustained in a collision with Phoenixs Derek Morris on Thursday. ... Los Angeles and Nashville began the day as the top two NHL teams in faceoff percentage, with the Kings winning 55.9 per cent and the Predators winning 55.7 per cent. ... The Kings broke a franchise record with their 76th consecutive sellout -- including post-season. The old mark occurred during the early 1990s, when Wayne Gretzky played for them. ' ' '