DURHAM – Duke women’s golf rookie Katie Li has been selected the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) inaugural Women’s Player of the Year as announced by the association on Monday.
Each of the MGA’s player of the year awards honors players who have compiled the best records in select events during the year. Each award has a points system in which players earn points for their finishes in designated local, national, and international championships, while the final selections for the awards are determined by the MGA Board of Directors.
“All inaugural things are great because it’s a step in the right direction, especially for women’s golf,” said Li. “I was born and raised in the Met Area and it has given me so many great opportunities, so having my name under this award is such an honor.”
After closing 2022 with a runner-up finish in a playoff at the Dixie Amateur at Palm Aire Country Club in Sarasota, Fla., Li kept her game steady through the winter and finished second in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) ANNIKA Invitational and tied for sixth in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, S.C.
June presented Li with a pair of special opportunities, as she played in the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club as one of 24 AJGA juniors competing alongside LPGA players and represented the United States in Japan for the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.
The quality play continued with Li qualifying for match play in the North & South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst and winning a match in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. Her final point-receiving event was the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, where she also advanced to match play.
Li’s performances on the national stage earned her 1,135 points, a convincing 510 points ahead of Catherine McEvoy of Innis Arden, who advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and finished second and as low amateur at the Women’s Met Open Championship. Aliea Clark of Five Iron Golf (450), Megha Ganne of Liberty National (395), and Ina Kim-Schaad of Deepdale (285) rounded out the top-five.
A native of Basking Ridge, N.J., Li competed in all four fall events for Duke as a freshman. She totaled a 72.92 stroke average and is coming off turning in a tied for 19th finish at the…
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