Iron Maiden

Last season, Lauren Brown was the No. 2 golfer on the Edison boys’ team, which she joined as a freshman. Now, as a senior, she is the No. 1 golfer on the Charger girls’ team, playing in its first season as a sanctioned Southern Section sport.

“I think it’s good for girls’ golf,” Brown said. “It allows more girls to get started and hopefully the sport will become more popular.”

Brown began playing golf as an 11-year-old with her parents, Derrick and Debbie, who are members of Mesa Verde Country Club.

Lauren had immediate success, shooting a 70 on the par-63 David L. Baker course in her first junior tournament at age 12. She has since competed regularly in tournaments and is a four-time junior champion at Mesa Verde.

Brown is a two-sport standout at Edison--she is the starting point guard on the girls’ basketball team--but is being recruited for golf by Cal State Northridge and San Diego State.

“I think it’s a possible way to get in [to college],” Brown said. “I’m working harder this year to become better.”

She has no personal coach but practices as often as six days a week and enters tournaments whenever possible. She went so far as to forgo summer basketball practice to concentrate on improving her golf game, and it paid off: She said she has cut three strokes off her average score, bringing it down to 80.

While Charger girls’ basketball Coach Dave White wasn’t happy that his point guard, who averaged 4.4 assists last season, was absent this summer, he was understanding.

“Fortunately, she will still play for us this year,” White said, “but she will definitely have a lesser role. Golf is her No. 1 sport and has a chance to be her future.”

Laurel Visser, No. 2 golfer on the Edison girls’ team, admires Brown’s dedication and humility.

“She’s a really good golfer, but she doesn’t let it go to her head,” Visser said. “She’s a hard worker who is fun to be around because she’s always positive and has a good attitude toward everything.”

Charger Coach Paul Harrell expects Brown to take on the leadership role that comes with being the No. 1 player.

“She’s great and the other girls respond real well to her,” Harrell said. “She works hard and has fun, and that makes it easier for me.”

Brown, in turn, credits Harrell with helping improve her short-iron game through drills.

But Harrell said he takes a “hands-off” approach when it comes to teaching Brown. He calls her swing “fundamentally excellent.”

“She’s very good and knows what she’s doing,” Harrell said. “I wouldn’t tinker with [her game] too much because Lauren is good enough to realize what she’s doing wrong most of the time.”

Brown gives advice to teammates when they ask for it, noting she is more of a teacher this year compared to last, when she was a more of a student on the boys’ team. “I help out more here, but I still have a lot to learn myself.”

This season, Edison has had five matches and won three. . Brown, who didn’t play in Tuesday’s loss to Marina because she was out of town, has improved in every match, lowering her score from 80 in the opener against Ocean View to 75 against University.

Brown said she’s enjoying the opportunity of playing on a girls’ golf team for the first time, and Harrell said she has a chance to do well in section competition.

“No matter what happens to us, we know we can count on Lauren,” he said. “She’s a great girl and will do well in whatever she does. I just hope this season can be the first of many successes.”