University Walks Away From Season Satisfied

The inaugural CIF-WSCGA (Women’s Southern California Golf Assn.) team championships presented the University High girls’ golf team with an opportunity for revenge. But the Trojans were interested only in self-satisfaction.

Many on the girls’ golf scene felt that after the highly touted Trojans finished fourth in the Southern Section championships Nov. 15, they needed to prove their status as the best team in Tuesday’s season-ending tournament at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta.

The Trojans, however, wanted only to prove it to themselves.

And that they did, shooting a three-player team score of 237 to win by eight shots over North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake and 12 over Southern Section champion South Torrance.

“We just wanted to play how we could play,” said junior Sunny Lee, who shot a season-best 78 to lead the Trojans. “We wanted to do it for us.”

Villa Park, the only other county representative in the six-team field, shot 260 and finished fourth.

This was the first CIF-WSCGA team tournament, which pitted the top teams and players from the Southern, City, Central and San Diego sections of the CIF. It is as close to a state championship as California offers in golf.

Individually, the University scores were not particularly eye-popping. But for the team, they were fine.

Angela Won, University’s top player, struggled by her standards but kept cool enough to bring home a 79.

Michelle Barth, the No. 3 player, shaved 10 strokes off her total from the Southern Section championships and shot 80.

And Lee, who plays No. 2, could have thrown in the towel after starting with a double-bogey but kept her spirits high.

“I made that double on the first hole and I thought this is going to be a long day,” Lee said. “But I made some pars and that got me going.”

Three holes later, she plopped an eight-iron shot to within a foot of the hole for a tap-in birdie.

After losing a ball in a greenside sand trap on her 13th hole and recording another double bogey, she responded by sinking a 30-foot birdie putt on her 14th and then parred in.

“Maybe it was the shoes,” Lee said. “I played a bad practice round [Monday] so I called my mom immediately and told her to bring my black shoes.”

No. 4 player Lydia Kim, the only senior on the team, called the victory cheerful, with a hint of gloom.

This lineup of Trojans has not lost a regular-season match in two seasons and won the inaugural Southern Section championship in 1998.

“Of course I’m happy,” said Kim, the team co-captain, flashing a smile. “But this is the last time the four of us are going to play together. It’s a little sad.”

Walailak Satarak of Paramount made a par on the second playoff hole to win the individual championship over Jennifer Tangtiphaiboontana of Long Beach Wilson. Both shot 71 in regulation.

Irene Cho of Sunny Hills topped the list of Orange County players with a 76 and a tie for 12th. Stella Lee of Irvine shot 77 and tied for 18th.