When Morgan Pressel became the youngest to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Open in 2001 at the age of 12, four teenagers were in the field with her at Pine Needles: Natalie Gulbis (19), Leigh Anne Hardin (19), Diana Ramage (18) and Christina Kim (17).
Pressel’s feat ignited a trend among junior golfers who thought, why not give qualifying a shot? Five years later, 25 teens comprised 16 percent of the field at Newport Country Club. Four of them were 15-year-olds.
This week the Women’s Open returns to Pine Needles for a fourth time. There are 22 teenagers in the field.
