Park’s Sixth Sense Is Off, but Her Game Isn’t

Julie Park of Granada Hills High claimed to be in an eight-month slump entering the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. tournament, but she sure didn’t play like it.

Park, a senior, shot a three-over-par 75 to tie for sixth among 80 girls from the City, Southern, San Diego and Central sections Tuesday at The SCGA Members’ Club.

“I actually played better than I expected,” Park said after finishing her round with two birdies and two pars. “I haven’t practiced enough lately and I haven’t been playing that well, so I was just hoping I’d do well.”

Park won her second City Section title in April, but she pointed out that her two-round total of 160 left a lot to be desired.

She was four-over par after her first five holes Tuesday before settling down and running off a string of four pars and a birdie.

The winds began to pick up after that, but Park shot even par over her final eight holes to finish three strokes behind winner Lisa Chen of Cerritos.

Yvonne Choe of Arcadia and Avery Kiser of Torrey Pines followed Chen at 73, with Erica Blasberg of Corona and Young Pak of Gahr at 74.

Freshman Sara Jones of Hart finished in a three-way tie for 10th at 76.

“My goal was to finish in the top 15,” Jones said. “So I’m pretty happy with the way I played.”

Jones, who played on Hart’s junior varsity boys’ team this season, was one over after the first five holes before struggling to a triple-bogey on the par-four No. 12.

She had a par and bogey on the next two holes before reeling off four consecutive pars, followed by an eagle on the par-five first hole.

“I shot a 72 in a practice round yesterday, so I was pretty confident coming into today,” Jones said.

Saki Uechi of Granada Hills, the 1997 and 1998 City champion, finished in a six-way tie for 13th at 77 and junior Krystal Shearer of Alemany shot a disappointing 79 to finish in a five-way tie for 22nd.

Shearer, who tied for third last year, was three under after the first four holes, but had a double-bogey on No. 5 and bogeys on Nos. 6 and 7.

“I was feeling pretty invincible after the first four holes,” Shearer said. “I felt like I could make every shot I needed. But that double-bogey really hurt my concentration. I really got down on myself.”