A 14-year-old Hermosa Beach youngster is scoring points in the golf world.
Andrea Lee shot a 5-under-par 67 to hold a one-stroke lead when Monday’s first round of stroke-play concluded during the 2013 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at the par-72 Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Indiana.
Andrea returned a flawless round of five birdies, four from tap-in distance, on the 6,312-yard Jack Nicklaus design, according to a press release. She is one stroke ahead of Kathleen Scavo and Lilia Khatu Vu, both at 4-under 68. Nicole Morales, who reached the third round of the 2012 Girls’ Junior Championship, and Yueer Feng, 2013 Women’s Open competitor, are included among seven players two strokes behind Andrea at 3-under 69.
The effort is Andrea's first in the Girls' Junior Championship, which is open to female amateur golfers under the age of 18. Play consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play. The championship concludes with a 36-hole final on Saturday.
Andrea is familiar with the course, having played at Sycamore Hills when the venue hosted the past three Junior PGA Championships.
“You need to think a lot (about the course). It’s pretty tough,” stated Lee, whose previous low round at Sycamore Hills was a 71 in 2012. “I just tried to play one shot at a time.”
However, heavy winds Tuesday took their toll on several golfers, including Andrea, who fell farther back in the pack, bounced back Wednesday to capture a 4-and-2 victory against Sarah Burnham in the first round of match play. Andrea tees off Thursday morning in fourth place, according to the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship website.
Monday's performance was yet another highlight in a summer during which, two weeks ago, she finished second at the AJGA’s Rolex Tournament of Champions, and then last week, she helped propel the West Team to victory at the Wyndham Cup, an elite team competition for juniors, with her 4-0 record.
The U.S. Girls’ Junior is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Andrea attends Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.
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