Five years ago Frank Nimmo knew Marianne Li was going to be a special golfer on the links.

Nimmo, who has been the Knights coach for the past decade, had just cancelled one of his team’s matches due to adverse weather conditions in 2009 when he noticed an individual on the putting green at their home course at The Golf Club at Newcastle working on their game despite temperatures in the 30s and driving sleet.

“I knew of her (Li) but didn’t know her at the time,” Nimmo said.

During Li’s freshman season at Newport in the fall of 2011, Nimmo said she was already a Division-1 caliber golfer. Li, who will graduate in June of 2015, signed a letter of intent with the University of California (Berkeley) women’s golf program Nov. 12 in the Newport High School commons.

“In my opinion, she is one of the best athletes to come through Newport in quite some time,” Nimmo said. “She is the way that she is because of her work ethic, commitment to the sport and love and support from her parents. We (Newport golf team) are the beneficiaries of that work ethic. Marianne is the consummate student athlete. She prioritizes academics over athletics.”

Li’s journey with golf began in 2006. She tried a bevy of different sports consisting of swimming, taekwondo and tennis but golf was the sport she fall in love with.

“Golf just kind of stuck with me. I really liked it from the beginning. I liked the challenge of it and how it’s not that easy to be good,” Li said. “It takes a lot of practice. Golf is a tough sport.”

Li relentlessly perfects her skills on the links at The Golf Club at Newcastle.

“Our team practices up at Newcastle. It is a really nice course. The facility is one of the best in KingCo (Division). We are really lucky,” she said. “It’s also my home course. I live five minutes away. It’s really convenient.”

Nimmo has no doubt Li will succeed at the Division-1 level.

“I can’t single out one aspect of her game. Marianne has the whole package and has a great foundation. It’s just fun to watch her play,” he said.

Li believes the University of California (Berkeley) is the best fit possible for her athletically and academically.

“Location was a factor. I wanted to stay relatively close to home and the weather down there is really nice. Cal is the No. 1 public university in the United States. I was looking for a pretty good balance between academics and athletics and I think I found it,” she said.

Li said she enjoys math and science but plans on deciding on a major between the end of her freshman year and prior to the start of her sophomore year.

Shaun Scott: 425-453-5045; sscott@bellevuereporter.com