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PINEHURST, N.C – Lucy Li started her second round on Friday in the U.S. Women's Open a shot inside the cut line and had everyone on this massive property at Pinehurst No. 2 hoping for the incredible.

Unfortunately, the 11-year-old sixth grader, who is the youngest player ever to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open, did not become the youngest player to ever make the cut in the tournament's history.

Not that she's heartbroken.

"It was a lot of fun," Li said as she stood on a box to reach the microphone for her post-round interview. The 5-1 Li shot rounds of 78-78 to miss the cut, with each round consisting of two birdies.

"I guess that it was fun because I had two great playing partners. They were really nice," she said of Catherine O'Donnell and Jessica Wallace. "It was fun I guess because I did a good job of staying patient and going to the next shot and not caring about what happens.

" … You have to be patient. That's what I learned. Definitely. Because I did a good job of that this week and it really helped because I got triples and I came back with birdies. That's what's really important."

While Li didn't get any autographs from the players – "I'm not really big on autographs," she said – she signed a couple hundred during the week. She filled up on ice cream bars. And she got e-mails from her friends.

"They have been really excited," she said. "They thought I played really well. They're like, 'Oh, you're famous now."

Li won the crowds over with her carefree attitude and just plain cuteness. Plus a game that astonished elders helped, too.

Li's caddie Bryan Bush, who is a professional caddie at Pinehurst and the Maroon Creek Club in Aspen, Colo., said he's been impressed from the first day he met the tiny girl one month ago.

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