She has been described as a “virtuoso” and at the age of 12, Lucy Lin is also the youngest player ever to qualify for the CP Women’s Open. Lynn, who earned one of four qualifying spots in the 2022 golf tournament, played the first round of 18 holes when she was nine. Three years later, she is gearing up for the LPGA Tour event in Ottawa. “I’m really excited to meet all these great players from around the world and I’m trying to enjoy the experience,” Lin told CTV News in the capital on Tuesday after qualifying. Lin’s was among the four best qualifying scores out of 22 on Monday, meaning she will join event headliner Brooke Henderson on the course when the tournament opens on Thursday. The defending champion entering the event is 13-time LPGA Tour winner Jin Young Ko. Lin, a Vancouver resident, earned her spot by shooting two over par, just two shots behind Michelle Liu – who was previously the youngest qualifier – and Gianna Clemente, and one shot ahead of Vanessa Zhang. In 2019, Liu earned her spot in the tournament at the age of 12 years, nine months and six days. Lynn was 12 years, seven months and 12 days old on Monday. Qualifiers Liu, Lin and Zhang, all from Vancouver, are among 18 Canadians playing in the CP Women’s Open. Before teeing off at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, Lin said she’s trying to stay focused. “Sometimes I get nervous, but I try to be patient,” he said. Her strategy is to only think about her own game and how she can improve her swing. She tries not to get distracted. Lynn’s mother, Amanda, is her puppeteer and joked that it’s the secret weapon, but said her goal for her daughter is just to have fun and enjoy the experience. They don’t play many tournaments, she said, but described her daughter as a “very natural player.” “She’s a very sporty girl … she’s good at everything. And when she played the first time, 18 holes, with me three years ago, I could see she’s a good player,” Lin’s mother said. Describing themselves as a good team and good friends, she said they practice every day, but Lin balances it with school, which she does online. Laughing, Lin said she learned by watching her mother play and trying to “copy her”. She said she was surprised she made the break, but also tried not to think about it until it was over, focusing only on her game. What she likes most about the sport, Lynn said, is “hitting every shot. The sound of the ball hitting, the contact.” She said she dreams of becoming a professional golfer, which those who have seen her play believe is possible. “I’m in awe of her. She’s a virtuoso – not musically, but definitely on the golf course,” said Michael Hurdzan, an American golf course architect who remodeled the old Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club course where Lin will play in Open. “The great thing about it is that it will inspire other young girls like her to give it a shot, so that’s why I’m rooting for her and that’s why I have high hopes that she’ll make the cut.” Coach Tristan Mullally said he thinks he might have what it takes, too. “She’s a very down-to-earth young lady. When you talk to her, you don’t think she’s 12 years old, then when you watch her play, she has skill and speed that is beyond her years,” Mullally told CTV News on Tuesday. He is the head of national talent scouting for Golf Canada, and also a member of Lin’s coaching staff. “It’s a unique place for her to be as good as she is for her age,” he said. “He’s a very smart kid, he takes in information very well and he’s very diligent in what he does on a daily basis, so you can see how quickly he’s improved.” Mullally said he knows there can be challenges balancing school and sports at this level, but that Lin’s mother treats Lin as a “kid first, athlete second” and spends a lot of time with them. He said he hoped Lynn would qualify after finishing second in a Canadian Junior Golf Association event a few weeks ago on the same course, but knew it would depend on how she played Monday. “She did it to get in, she earned her spot and it should be fun to watch,” Mullally said. As for what’s next, he knows her aspirations to turn pro and said he’ll do everything he can to help her get there as quickly and safely as possible. “I think when you qualify as the youngest person ever to play in the Canadian Open, that probably says a lot about you and your game. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Brooke (Henderson) and her family for a long time, and she’s he acquired many of the same characteristics, so hopefully he will achieve the same kind of success in the future,” he said.
