Los Alamitos' Esther Lee Ready to Go Clubbing

The balance of power among Orange County high school girls golf teams this fall appears to be to the north, where defending CIF Southern Section champion Elisabeth Bernabe returns and will try to lead Canyon of Anaheim to its third consecutive Southern Regional.

According to the preseason rankings in the Orange County Register, the Comanches will be pushed by Troy High of Fullerton and Santa Ana’s Mater Dei for the county’s top spot at season’s end.

Among schools covered by Patch Orange County sites, the Eagles of Santa Margarita and their neighbors, the Tesoro Titans, appear to be the best teams. However, the area’s top returning player is Los Alamitos junior Esther Lee, who was a first-team all-county pick last year.

One of only four county girls to qualify for the CIF State tournament last year, she finished only one stroke behind winner Grace Na of Alameda. Lee shot a one-over-par 75 at Red Hill County Club in Rancho Cucamonga in her first appearance in the state title match.

She finished seventh at the WSCGA Southern California Championships, shooting a 2-under 70 at The Golf Club at Rancho California in Murrieta.

A selection to the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Dream Team” last season, Lee will play in the Junior Solheim Cup, an international invitational tournament that includes the 12 top junior girls golfers (ages 12-18) from the United States and the top 12 from Europe. Competition will take place Sept. 20-21 at Knightsbrook Hotel & Spa Golf Resort in Trim, Ireland.

Lee is currently ranked No. 25 in the AJGA Polo rankings  of the top junior players who have competed in the premier junior golf tournaments in the U.S. Lee won the AJGA Junior Challenge, Aug. 8-11, by shooting an eight-under-par 208 at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont.

“I've been working on my approach shots lately,” Lee said after clinching her third AJGA win. “Today I was able to get everything within 20 feet. It's a great way to end the summer.” Her other two AJGA victories came in 2010.

Also returning is junior Avery French, a second-team all-county selection from Dana Hills High. Between Nov. 13 and Dec. 12 last year, French won three International Junior Golf Tour events in California. 

Others to Watch -- Samantha Balsz, So., JSerra; Nicole Bennett, Sr., Aliso Niguel; Gabby Carpenter, Sr. St. Margaret’s; Casey Clough, Sr., Capistrano Valley; Kelly Dapper, Jr., Santa Margarita; Danielle Draper, Sr., Trabuco Hills; Brittany Farrell, So., Mission Viejo; Mariah Fuller, Jr., Trabuco Hills; Jennifer Coats, Sr., El Toro; Allie Frost, Jr., St. Margaret’s; Kristen Gallogly, Sr., Santa Margarita; Madeline Hannah, Jr., Capistrano Valley; Shannon Hansen, So., JSerra; Courtney Hua , Jr., El Toro; Deema Majaj, Sr., Mission Viejo; Corey Milster, Sr., Santa Margarita; Rachel Nowicki, So., JSerra; Courtney Ringenback, Sr., Trabuco Hills; Joo Seo, So., Aliso Niguel; Colleen Young, So., Aliso Niguel; Kaitlin Shimizu, Sr., El Toro; Elizabeth Soenondo, So., Dana Hills; Sydney Steele, Sr., Santa Margarita; Jade St. Thomas, Jr., El Toro; Madison Wolfert, Jr., Capistrano Valley).