Hwang’s Second Helps Birmingham to First

It was no surprise that sisters Min Hee and Jee Hee Hwang of Birmingham High finished in the top four at the first City Section girls’ golf final.

The surprise was the order of finish.

This time it was the younger Jee Hee who got the better of her more experienced sibling.

The sophomore fired a six-over-par 82 to finish second overall and spark the Patriots to the City championship Wednesday at Woodley Lakes Golf Course.

Behind the sisters, Birmingham finished with a score of 294 to defeat Chatsworth by eight strokes.

Min Hee, a senior, was disappointed with her fourth-place score of 85 but was happy for her sister.

“It was nice to see my sister do so well,” Min Hee said. “Every tournament we have a lot of competition between us. But I’m happy she got second place.”

If it was disappointing to Min Hee, it might be because she won the unofficial City title last year in the section’s state qualifying tournament.

But the Patriots had little to be disappointed about.

“It’s a great thrill for us to win it,” Coach Chick Epstein of Birmingham said. “This is a terrific accomplishment for the team.”

It is even more impressive when you consider the Hwang sisters have been competing for only two years.

Sophomore Maria Lamela of Carson won the City title by shooting a four-over-par 80.

Epstein said Jee Hee benefited from competing in the same foursome as Lamela.

“She saw how well the Carson girl was doing and she saw what she needed to do to match her,” he said.

Birmingham earned a berth in the CIF-SCGA High School Invitational.

The top two teams and the top 10 individuals are eligible for the tournament Nov. 27 and 28 at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta.

Hwang and Joi Hart of Westchester finished with scores of 82. Hwang was awarded second because she posted a 41 on the back nine, two strokes better than Hart.

Jessica Wright of Monroe finished fifth at 90 to lead the Vikings to third place and Zeno Ho of Chatsworth was sixth at 95.