Park and Won Qualify for U.S. Championship

Priscilla Park of Santa Ana shot par 72 Thursday at Coto de Caza and shared medalist honors with Yvonne Choe of Temple City in qualifying for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

Park, the Times’ Orange County girls’ golfer of the year last fall at Villa Park High, will play in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship July 31-Aug. 5 at Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains, Ore.

Angela Won of Irvine, the 1998 county girls’ player of the year from University High, also qualified by shooting 77 and finishing 10th.

MURPHY ON MISSION

Breene Murphy of Los Alamitos shot three-under-par 69 Tuesday in the first round of the AJGA Mission Hills Junior tournament at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage and is tied for fourth, three strokes behind leader Kyle Gentry of Carmel.

Steve Conway of Irvine is six strokes back in 16th place after an opening 72 and Nico Bollini of Yorba Linda is in 18th after a 73.

In the girls’ tournament, two-time defending champion Angela Rho of Fullerton struggled to a 77 and is in 15th place, six strokes behind co-leaders Virada Nirapathpongporn of Bradenton, Fla., and Hwanhee Lee of Cerritos.

The three-round tournament continues today at 6:30 a.m.

PRICE IS RIGHT

Andrew Price of Mission Viejo shot a two-round total of 150 last week at Herron Lakes in Portland, Ore., and earned a spot in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

Price, who played at Santa Margarita High, will play in the Public Links July 10-15, also at Herron Lakes.

STELLA GETS HER GROOVE

Stella Lee of Irvine set a women’s course record at Yorba Linda Country CLub when she shot five-under-par 68 and won the SCPGA Yorba Linda Junior Invitational.

Lee, who will be a senior at Irvine High in the fall, broke the record of 69 previously held by Pearl Sinn of Huntington Beach, an LPGA tour winner.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN

Golfing rules and etiquette are the focus of a free clinic for junior players 7 to 17.

Classes will be held at Tustin Ranch Golf Club beginning at noon July 27. Space is limited to the first 100 junior golfers to sign up in advance. PGA instructors will spend two hours discussing golf’s finer points, and parents are welcome to join junior golfers for this lesson.

The rest of the afternoon will be spent focusing on improving juniors’ short games, irons and swings. Prizes will be awarded during a barbecue that begins at 6 p.m.

The clinic is offered as part of a series of classes being dubbed Play Better University.

To register for the July 27 classes call Tustin Ranch at (714) 573-7029.

GOING SOLO

Solo golfers get 50% off green fees at participating golf courses throughout California. The California Stand-By Card costs $29, and can be used every day through December 2001.

For more information, call (888) 993-7334 or go to www.halfoffgreenfees.com

Participating courses include: the Beau Pre Golf Club, Furnace Creek Golf Course, Bigfoot Golf & Country Club, Emerson Lake Golf Course, Tierra Del Sol, Del Norte Golf Course, Plumas Pines Golf Resort, Clear Lake Riviera Yacht & Golf Club, Lake San Marcos Executive Course, Rams Hill Country Club, Sea Ranch Golf Links, Hidden Valley Lake & Country Club, Pala Mesa Golf Resort, Rancho Mirage Country Club, Forest Meadows Golf Course, Mallard Lake Golf Course, Woodhaven Country Club, Shorecliff’s Golf Course, Desert Falls Country Club, Indian Palms Resort, Heritage Palms Golf Club, Cimarron Golf Resort, Golden Era Golf Course, Soboba Springs Royal Vista Golf Club, Napa Golf Course, Woodcreek Golf Club, Delta View Golf Course and San Geronimo Golf Course.

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Staff writer Rene Lynch contributed to this report.

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TEE TIMES

A look at upcoming tournaments in the region or major events involving top regional players:

* 5-6: AJGA Nabisco Junior, Mission Hills Country Club, Palmer Course, Rancho Mirage.

* 5: U.S. Amateur Entry Deadline.

* 6: SCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying, SCGA Member’s Club, Murrieta.

* 8-9: Oxnard City Championship, River Ridge GC, Oxnard.

* 10: SCPGA Skins Game, Monterey CC, Palm Desert.

* 10: SCPGA Metropolitan Chapter Event, San Gabriel CC.

* 10: SCPGA Pinehurst Championship, River Ridge GC, Pacific.

* 11: SCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying, Crystalaire CC, Llano; Rancho San Marcos GC, Santa Barbara.

* 12: SCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying, Warner Springs Ranch.

* 10-14: AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, Serrano CC, El Dorado Hills.

* 14-16: Long Beach City Championship, El Dorado, Skylinks, Recreation Park GC, Long Beach.

* 17-22: California Amateur Championship, Bayonet and Blackhorse GC, Pebble Beach.

* 17-20: AJGA Compaq Junior Classic, Trophy Lake GC, Seattle, Wash.

* 18-21: California State Open at PGA of Southern California Golf Club, Beaumont.

* 19: U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship entry deadline.

* 19-21: California Senior Amateur Championship, Poppy Hills GC.

* 24-27: AJGA Dockers Golf/Golf Design Junior Classic, La Purisima GC, Lompoc.

* 24-27: AJGA McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls’ National Championship, DuPont CC, Wilmington, Del.

* 24-27: AJGA Boys’ Junior Championship, Dallas Athletic Club, Dallas, Texas.

* 25-26: SCGA Affiliate Team Championship, River Course at the Alisal, Solvang.

* 27-29: Moreno Valley City Championship, Moreno Valley Ranch GC.

* 31: U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying, Apple Valley CC; Seven Oaks CC, Bakersfield; Friendly Hills CC, Whittier.