Park Elevates Torrance

The Torrance girls’ golf team won two titles without standout senior Angela Park, but it’s doubtful the Tartars would have won a third without their No. 1 player.

Park, returning from a fifth-place finish last week in the Futures Tour qualifying tournament, shot a team-best, even-par 72 Monday during the Southern California regional championships at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta, leading Torrance to a tournament-record 395 and a 10-shot victory over defending champion Long Beach Wilson.

Park’s score made a 16-shot difference for the Tartars, who would have counted Dani Powell’s 88 in the five-player total if not for Park’s 72. That would have put Torrance six shots behind Wilson.

“I did that math,” she said, smiling. “The whole time I was away, I was wondering about the team and if they made it. I had faith that they would, and now I’m happy I finally get to contribute to it.”

Torrance’s victory continued an impressive postseason for the Tartars, who last week set a Southern Section championship record with a 382 and came within three shots of the all-time section record when they shot 380 in winning the divisional title. On Monday, the course played difficult because of fast, hard-to-read greens and several hard-to-reach pin placements. Last year, the winning score was 66 and eight players shot par or better. Monday, Wilson sophomore Brianna Do won the individual title with a 70 and only three players finished at par or better.

Adding to the difficulty was a slow pace. Patience was paramount during a six-hour round.

Do missed three putts inside of 10 feet on the back nine but fought off the frustration and hit a sand wedge to within a foot on the 18th hole and made the birdie for what proved to be the difference in her one-shot victory over Lizette Salas of Asuza.

“I thought I did really well putting,” said Do, who had five birdies, a bogey and a double bogey. “I didn’t really know what everyone was shooting, so I wasn’t feeling extra pressure” on the shot on No. 18.

Salas had four birdies, including a 35-foot putt on No. 12 and a 10-footer on No. 18 -- her second-to-last-hole -- that gave her second place. Park was third, followed by a four-way tie at 73 that included Torrance freshman Jane Rah.

Torrance, Wilson and San Diego Section champion Poway advance to the state championships Wednesday at the PGA of Southern California Golf Club.

Salas, Kimberly Johnson of San Diego Westview, Nara Kim of Diamond Bar, Christine Song of Fullerton Sunny Hills, Emily Mason of Redlands East Valley and Brenda Chhuor of Cerritos also advance as the top six individual finishers not on qualifying teams.