[ColoradoTree]

 Her [Li's] enrollment at Stanford does seem increasingly unlikely, however. 

I hope she takes some inspiration from Valenzuela and Lee! A year on the farm could benefit her in multiple ways.

You're absolutely right, and I hear you. Whether she joins the LPGA tour in 2022 or 2021 is not a life or death matter, and she'd get to spend 4 quarters at Stanford just by putting that off. 

That said, she's a senior in high school now, and she's now allowed to play the entire Symetra Tour schedule in 2020. If she finishes in the Top 10 on that tour, she's got her LPGA card for 2021. (Even if she misses out on that but finishes in the Top 35 on the Symetra Tour, she automatically makes Q-Series next year, which is a step further than she got this year. And short of injury, there's just no way she doesn't at least make the Top 35 of that tour. Even a not-so-great year on that tour would get her to this same tournament next year, so she wouldn't be losing any ground.)  She seems laser focused on joining the LPGA as soon as possible based on her quotes, so if she thinks she has the inside track on getting a 2021 LPGA card, I'm not sure attending Stanford for fall quarter 2020 makes a lot of sense, especially since that would require her to retain amateur status the entire 2020 Symetra season rather than making $80K-$125K (which is the range of the winnings in the Top 10 last year). 

I fully agree that you can't reduce the value of a Stanford experience to dollars, but she's an absolute phenom, and turning pro as early as possible is a rational decision for her. It's just that life is more than a series of rational short-term financial decisions, and it's always a good idea to have something to fall back on. Injuries happen. Phenoms get inconsistent. Adult pressures and the trying nature of life on a professional tour can break you down mentally and physically. I know we'd never get her for 4 years, but even a year means that door is always open to return. I get why she'd go pro as soon as possible, and she's a unique talent that's probably going to make tens of millions in her LPGA career, so I can hardly begrudge her chasing her dreams. It's just that Stanford is special, and her life would be enriched for experiencing it.

[ColoradoTree]

 Her [Li's] enrollment at Stanford does seem increasingly unlikely, however. 

I hope she takes some inspiration from Valenzuela and Lee! A year on the farm could benefit her in multiple ways.

You're absolutely right, and I hear you. Whether she joins the LPGA tour in 2022 or 2021 is not a life or death matter, and she'd get to spend 4 quarters at Stanford just by putting that off. 

That said, she's a senior in high school now, and she's now allowed to play the entire Symetra Tour schedule in 2020. If she finishes in the Top 10 on that tour, she's got her LPGA card for 2021. (Even if she misses out on that but finishes in the Top 35 on the Symetra Tour, she automatically makes Q-Series next year, which is a step further than she got this year. And short of injury, there's just no way she doesn't at least make the Top 35 of that tour. Even a not-so-great year on that tour would get her to this same tournament next year, so she wouldn't be losing any ground.)  She seems laser focused on joining the LPGA as soon as possible based on her quotes, so if she thinks she has the inside track on getting a 2021 LPGA card, I'm not sure attending Stanford for fall quarter 2020 makes a lot of sense, especially since that would require her to retain amateur status the entire 2020 Symetra season rather than making $80K-$125K (which is the range of the winnings in the Top 10 last year). 

I fully agree that you can't reduce the value of a Stanford experience to dollars, but she's an absolute phenom, and turning pro as early as possible is a rational decision for her. It's just that life is more than a series of rational short-term financial decisions, and it's always a good idea to have something to fall back on. Injuries happen. Phenoms get inconsistent. Adult pressures and the trying nature of life on a professional tour can break you down mentally and physically. I know we'd never get her for 4 years, but even a year means that door is always open to return. I get why she'd go pro as soon as possible, and she's a unique talent that's probably going to make tens of millions in her LPGA career, so I can hardly begrudge her chasing her dreams. It's just that Stanford is special, and her life would be enriched for experiencing it.