San Marino High School’s Elizabeth Wang showed the community her excessive golf skills last summer when she beat some of the sport’s finest in an LPGA Tour event in June, but the junior almost outdid herself this month, winning the CIF Southern Section individual championship on Nov. 3 before finishing 3rd in the entire state on Tuesday afternoon at Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga.
Wang fired a four-under-par 68 at Western Hills Country Club to win the Southern Section title and qualify for the State Southern competition. That tournament was held at Arrowhead Country Club in San Bernardino, where Wang shot a 2-under-par 70 to finish 7th.
Lady Titan teammate Ada Wong, a sophomore, also qualified for the State Southern tournament and finished 25th with a score of 77.
Wang advanced to Tuesday’s event at Red Hill. Her one-under-par 73 held the lead for most of the day until golfers in the last groups bumped her to 3rd.
“Elizabeth is so composed on the course,” said Coach Wyeth Collo. “At Red Hill there were no practice rounds allowed. I liked how Elizabeth was very meticulous in her course management. She knew when to attack and when to hold back. She wasn’t satisfied with her score and I like that. She knows she can do better.”
Wang’s journey was the furthest a girls’ golfer has ever advanced in the sport’s history at San Marino High School and she was facing as tough a competition that exists in the nation.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” said Collo of the level of play. “Florida, Texas. There is a lot of talent in those areas as well. We live in a beautiful environment and we can play year-round. Because there are so many good golfers, it just sort of feeds on itself.”
With coaches from USC, UCLA, Stanford, Pepperdine and other golf powers looking on, Collo said he was most impressed at the level of sportsmanship displayed by the competitors.
“They want to win on the course, but they are very friendly off it,” said Collo.
The Lady Titans finished 2nd in the CIF Northern Division and 5th in the CIF State Southern competition – a single stroke away from qualifying for State.
Wang and Wong are among the 5 starters who will return next year. Collo’s biggest challenge will be to replace seniors Cameron McCrary and Vivian Sun, who are motivating forces on and off the course.
