ON THE GREEN : CHIP SHOTS : Western Coach Crosby to Retire at the End of Girls’ Golf Season

Don Crosby, the golf coach at Western High whose biggest claim to fame is that he was the high school coach of Tiger Woods, announced that he will retire upon the completion of the current girls’ golf season.

Crosby, 58, has been a teacher and coach of various sports at Western High for more than 33 years. He started the boys’ golf program in 1986 and the girls’ in 1998.

“I got to coach some good kids,” Crosby said. “Those are the ones who made it all worthwhile.”

Crosby had planned on retiring when boys’ golf ended last season, but changed his mind when two girls’ team players--seniors Kristie Park and Aurda Ratajczak--pleaded with him to stay with the girls.

“They did a lot for me in helping to start the team,” Crosby said. “So I figured, ‘Heck, I could go another semester.’ ”

Crosby will continue to reside in Orange County and will leave the coaching door cracked open, just in case.

“If I miss it, I can always get back into it,” Crosby said.

TOP TRANSFERS

Stella Lee, a junior from Cerritos Gahr, has transferred to Irvine High. Lee, who shot 77 and tied for 12th in the CIF-WSCGA championships last June, is ranked among the top 20 players in the Southern California PGA Junior Tour points standings.

Priscilla Park, medalist in the Southern Section Southern Regional tournament as a freshman last fall, transferred to Villa Park from Foothill. Park is ranked in the top 30 by the SCPGA.

SCPGA AWARDS

Jerry Anderson of Newport Beach Country Club has been named the Southern California PGA Golf Professional of the Year and Alan Ochiai of Tustin Ranch was named SCPGA Teacher of the Year.

It is the second time Anderson, 62, has been honored as the top PGA Professional in Southern California. He also won in 1985.

Carrie Jenna, also of Tustin Ranch, won the award in 1997.

THE JUNIOR MATCH

Angela Rho of Fullerton has been selected to represent the United States in The Junior Match, a Ryder Cup-style event that pits the top 12 junior golfers from the United States against their counterparts from Europe.

The Junior Match will take place Sept. 20-22 at New Seabury Country Club in New Seabury, Mass. After competition, participants will attend the Ryder Cup at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

Rho, a senior at Sonora High, is ranked No. 7 nationally by the American Junior Golf Assn.