Cypress’ Amy Fruhwirth Is Beaten in U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championship

Oxnard’s Dana Lofland, 17, defeated Cypress’ Amy Fruhwirth, 17, 4 and 3, Saturday to win the 37th U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championship.

Lofland, who took medalist honors in qualifying, gradually wore down Fruhwirth with her long game, often out-driving her opponent by as much as 40 to 50 yards on the 5,975-yard, par-72 St. Clair Country Club course. The championship is sponsored by the U.S. Golf Assn.

Fruhwirth’s par and Lofland’s three-putt green left the match even after 10 holes, but Lofland won the 11th and 12th holes with pars and then also parred the 13th with a five-foot putt to take a 3-up lead.

The 14th hole was halved with pars, but Lofland parred the par-3 15th hole while Fruhwirth three-putted and the match was over.

Lofland had birdie putts of inside eight feet on three of the first four holes but made only an eight-footer on the third hole to be even after six.

But she rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt for a two on the seventh hole and turned the front nine in 1-over par 37, only to see Fruhwirth win the 20th hole to square the match for the final time.