Qualifying for the US Women’s Open has begun at The Club at Mediterra in Florida as players compete for the chance to tee it up with the world’s best at Pebble Beach in July.
Among the competitors is a player aiming to become the youngest in history to qualify for the Major. Brazilian Bella Simoes only turned nine last August, but she got qualifying under way with the first shot, which immediately demonstrated her assured swing and ability to hold her nerve under pressure.
Qualifying for the 2023 #USWomensOpen has officially begun! Nine-year-old Bella Simoes hit the first shot. Follow along @FSGA ➡️ https://t.co/622czXdhXk pic.twitter.com/4aYolLLL21May 9, 2023
The record is currently held by Lucy Li, who qualified for the 2014 tournament, which she competed in aged 11, but Simoes will beat that by some distance if she achieves her aim this week.
Simoes began playing golf aged just two and, by the time she was five, she had begun competing in tournaments. Per her Instagram account, she is now sponsored by TaylorMade and has even played with World No.7 Lexi Thompson, who qualified for the US Women's Open when she was just 12.
It didn’t take long before Simoes' ability began translating into trophies, either, and she has won the US Kids Golf World Championship three years in a row, most recently last August.
While Simoes' achievements in the game are impressive, qualifying for one of the women’s game’s most prestigious tournaments at one of the world’s most iconic courses would surely surpass all of them to date.
In an interview with The Tee Times magazine last year, her coach Don Law described her qualities. He said: “Bella is the real deal and if somebody from over here is going to play on the LPGA Tour it’s probably this one right here. She works out five days a week and mentally she is extremely strong, which makes her very hard to beat and not afraid of competition.”
Whether or not Simoes qualifies for this year’s Major, it will certainly be interesting to see how she progresses in the game in the coming years.
