Elizabeth Liu ‘25 has set high expectations for the future of Branson girls’ golf and has left an everlasting legacy on the team. She finished her junior season as an MCAL champion and Player of the Year, NCS Division I Champion, NorCal Champion and CIF State Tournament Qualifier — just how she had envisioned it — but the journey to such success was not easy.
Liu’s first foray into golf began later than most of her competitors.
“I started playing when I was 11 years old,” said Liu. “I began by taking lessons a few times a week at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, and my love for golf has grown ever since then.”
After growing a love for golf at the Meadow Club, Liu decided that she wanted to take her career one step further by applying to be a Junior Merit, which would allow her to play golf whenever she wanted.
“I got accepted when I was in the seventh grade, which kickstarted my golfing career,” said Liu. At the time, this was the biggest event that occurred in her golf career.
After receiving the Marin County Athletic League Player of the Year honor in 2022 as a sophomore, Liu was motivated to continue pursuing golf, hopeful to receive this honor for the remainder of her time at Branson.
“The 2022 season was super exciting, particularly because I was more focused on playing my best than on winning the Player of the Year title,” said Liu. “There was a lot of pressure to perform well throughout the season, but especially in the final match, which it all came down to.”
The same sequence of events occurred in Liu’s junior season, with her remaining the MCAL Player of the Year for a second year. But that was only the beginning once she had tied for third in the North Coast Section Division II Championship after shooting 73, one over par, qualifying her for the NCS Division I Championship. Another top score led Liu to place fourth out of 143 competitors, where she shot 73, two over par, beating out Aimee Yang ‘24 and Anna Han ‘24.
After non-stop work and dedication, Liu qualified for the CIF NorCal Regional tournament, eager to earn a spot in the state championships the following week.
“There was so much adrenaline the entire season, especially when the tournaments got more competitive,” said Liu. “When I was out on the course, my shots were not as good as I had hoped, but my putting was saving me from losing.”
Out of 84 qualifiers, Liu shot a 71, one under par, tying for the lowest score out of the entire tournament, easily qualifying her for the CIF State Championship. Everything she had worked toward was now paying off.
“I was super proud to make it to states,” said Liu. “It was just never something I thought I could achieve, but am happy I did. What’s nerve-racking is when you are playing, you have no idea how other people are playing. Once the round is over, everyone crowds the leaderboard to see if they have a chance. That’s one of the best parts.”
Liu went into her junior season with the same expectations as her last season, unaware of just how successful she would be.
“It just seemed so impossible, because you have to go through so many different rounds of qualifying,” said Liu. “So, not only was I surprised to have made it all the way, I was super proud.”
