O.C.’s Booth Loses in the Semifinals of U.S. Junior Golf

Kellee Booth of Coto de Caza was eliminated Friday in the semifinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championships.

Booth, 14, who missed the cut in last year’s championship, lost 4 and 3 to France’s Sandrine Mendiburu, 17, at Manasquan River Golf Club. Vicki Goetze of Hull, Ga., the tournament’s qualifying medalist, won the other semifinal. Goetze defeated Christine Garrett of Bloomington, Ill., 5 and 3. The final is scheduled today.

Goetze and Mendiburu were two under par in their semifinal matches.

“I know the winner has got to be under par,” said Goetze, 17,who lost in the semifinal round in each of the past three years. “You’ve got to be careful, though, because if somebody starts off hot, this only goes 18 holes.”

“The winner will be four or five under par, I’m sure,” said Mendiburu, who reached the quarterfinal round last year. “I have to play very, very well. I don’t expect her to make a mistake.”