La Serna’s Lopez wins Southern Section golf title

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Lee Lopez stood in the tee box on hole No. 10 at Diamond Bar Golf Course, stared down the fairway of the 320-yard, par four, then acted as if she’d been there a hundred times before.

Lopez, a senior at Whittier La Serna, birdied the first playoff hole Thursday against Tiffany Lua of Hacienda Heights Los Altos, to win the Southern Section individual girls’ golf title.

‘In any event, I think you should play every hole like it’s a playoff,’ said Lopez, who has committed to Long Beach State. ‘Do or die.’

Lopez and Lua each shot four-under 69s in regulation. Starting on hole No. 14, Lopez reached five-under after birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, but gave a shot back when she bogeyed No. 13.

‘Other than that, it was pretty consistent the whole day,’ said Lopez, who finished with six birdies and two bogeys on the 6,014-yard course.

Lopez has built a solid resume in recent years. She’s the first four-time Del Rio League champion in girls’ golf, was co-rookie of the year with Lua on the Junior Amateur Golf Scholars tour four years ago and won her first American Junior Golf Assn. event last June in a playoff at the Fidelity Investments World Championships at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Tex. Her best finish in the section finals was third her sophomore year.

‘The only goal is making it to state,’ said Lopez, whose home course is Industry Hills. Lopez, along with the other top 28 finishers, advanced to the WSCGA championships Monday at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta. The event also serves as the Southern California qualifier for the state championships, scheduled for next Thursday at Poppy Hills Golf Club in Monterey.

-- Dan Arritt

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