MAINEVILLE, OH − How many golfers can say they made a birdie in a professional tournament in their own backyard?
In the second round of the Kroger Queen City Championship Sept. 12, Mary Liu pulled off the rare feat.
Liu, a California native who is originally from China, got a 20-foot, right-to-left breaking birdie putt to fall on the 177-yard, par-3 fifth hole at TPC River’s Bend. It was more special than another circled number on her scorecard, though, with the house she’s staying in this week directly in the background.
Liu, her mother, Jen, and caddie, Maria Beautell, are all staying at the home of Dan and Lynn Meyer, which sits adjacent to the fifth hole. There was no bigger cheer than from the Meyer’s bleacher setup next to the greenside bunker when Liu got that birdie to drop.
That was only the start of a special round between two families separated by thousands of miles brought together by a golf tournament.
Both Dan and Lynn left the bleachers and began following the rest of Mary’s round. Lynn and Jen were hugging a few minutes later when Liu birdied No. 6, the longest hole at TPC River’s Bend (a 578-yard, par-5), to move to 6-under for the tournament.
Liu, who had missed the cut in her previous three events, would go on to soar into a tie for eighth place with a 6-under 66, tying her best round of the year.
“Great round from Mary today!” Meyer said over text.
‘It’s our way to give back.’
The Meyers have a history of opening up their home. Just this weekend, they will have 80-100 people over for their annual chili cookoff and square-dancing party, which started in 1990 and is held on the second Saturday of September.
The Meyers hosted a few AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) players when the group played at the Lindner Center, an ATP tennis player and multiple players on the Epson Tour when it came to TPC River’s Bend. One of them, Brittany Fan, still sends them Christmas cards.
Dan helped found the Moeller volleyball program in 1995 and was a coach for nine of the Crusaders’ state titles. Each of his four kids played Division I volleyball and he has a full-size volleyball court right next to the garage that hosts a league every Tuesday and Thursday night during the summer. When nearby Kings High School started a boys volleyball program, Dan offered his home for practice sessions during the summer.
“The volleyballs are in the garbage can behind the workshop. They’d come out here several times a week,” he said. “It’s great to see.”
When it was announced that the LPGA was coming to Maineville, Dan made sure to let the tour know his house was open. He then got a call from Liu, who asked if she and her mom could stay for the week.
“You don’t get through sports without people helping you out along the way,” Dan said. “It’s our way to give back.”
‘We check in on her all the time.’
While most television tournament viewers see four rounds of golf in four days, the Meyers’ eyes have opened up to the demand of the LPGA tour. Hosting a player doesn’t mean they see her that much.
On Sept. 11, the opening round of the Kroger Queen City Championship, Liu’s schedule began at 7:20 a.m. There was a light breakfast, putting practice, a range session, her first round of the tournament, a trip to the gym and physical therapy before returning home at 7 p.m. for the lasagna dinner she had asked for.
“People don’t realize the regimen they go through week in and week out. This is their job, not a vacation,” Dan said. “They work their tails off. They are very busy. You gotta be committed. It’s a lifestyle they choose. There’s not much else to their life when they’re playing.”
The Meyers have seen the pressure that comes with the tour. Each shot could mean a missed cut and missed prize money. There’s no team plane or bus shuttling these players across the globe and most don’t have big sponsorships footing the bill for living and travel expenses.
“They rely a lot on host families,” Dan said. “If we can give back a little bit and help them out, that’s what it’s all about.”
A newfound respect for the grind made Dan start following Liu throughout the year. She lost her tour card after her 2024 rookie campaign and got it back through qualifying school. This year, she’s made the cut in 11-of-18 events.
“We’ll (text) and say, ‘hey, Mary, great round today in Hawaii.’ We keep a dialogue,” Dan said. “We check in on her all the time.”
