 |
Lauren Diaz-Yi, Westlake Village, 17: Lauren is a junior at Westlake High School in Westlake Village with a 4.2 GPA. She began playing golf at age 8 and says that “golf has been a faithful teacher all these years and has taught me to be humble, respectful, and not to take opportunities for granted.” Lauren’s golf accomplishments include qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, winning the 2009 AJGA Junior All-Star, and being named Player of the Year three times for her performance on her high school team. Off the course, Lauren is an accomplished musician, having participated in many violin and piano competitions. |
 |
Avery French, Dana Point, 17: Avery might not remember her first round of golf at 9 months of age, but the game has been a weekly family event ever since. “Golf is part of our lives,” she said. “It gives us time to talk and be together doing something we love. Golf has given me an avenue to know my family and myself better.” A junior at Dana Hills High School in Orange County, Avery boasts a 4.3 GPA and participates in many school service activities. Her golf highlights include winning the 2011 Toyota Tour Cup Series Championship and winning the South Coast League Championship by 17 strokes! |
 |
Kimmy Hill, Palm Desert, 17: A senior at Palm Desert High School, Kimmy has helped lead her team to two state championships in four years. She’ll be competing for Texas Tech University following a great junior golf career that has included a 10-stroke victory at the 2012 JAGS Presidents Junior Cup and five top-10 finishes in AJGA events. According to Kimmy, because of golf she has “learned the value and meaning of honesty and sportsmanship.” |
 |
Courtney Hooton, San Diego, 18: A high school senior at San Diego’s The Bishop’s School, Courtney has committed to play golf for Harvard University. She’s had an accomplished career as a junior golfer, having qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship twice along with two AJGA wins. She also co-founded Golfer Girl Magazine, which generated a circulation of approximately 10,000 in 50 states and Canada and Mexico. The magazine has even been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. According to Courtney, “golf has provided me specific avenues to give back to the community by providing time, resources and leadership roles.” |
 |
Alice Jeong, Torrance, 16: Alice is a junior at North Torrance High School and is involved in clubs and honor societies in addition to playing on the golf team while maintaining at 4.4 GPA. She has three Toyota Tour Cup top-five finishes and won the Knabe Cup in 2011. She lists Annika Sorenstam as one of her role models and hopes she can “be like her one day” while continuing her journey to become the best golfer/student she can be. |
 |
Andrea Lee, Hermosa Beach, 13: At only 13 years of age and still in middle school, Andrea has already made her mark on the course. The Hermosa Valley Middle School student appeared in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” in 2009 and won the Toyota Tour Cup Championship in 2010. She lists her most significant golf moment as shooting her lowest score ever, a 65, on the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills CC during an AJGA tournament. Even though she lost the event by one stroke, she said, “Maybe one day I’ll be able to shoot this score at the actual Kraft Nabisco.” |
 |
Alison Lee, Valencia, 17: Having won the first golf tournament she ever played in at age 7, Alison has been hooked on the game ever since. Alison has played in five U.S. Girls Junior Championships, four U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships, and two U.S. Women’s Open Championships, where she made the cut in 2009. She has been a Junior Solheim Cup and Junior Ryder Cup team member and has already had a great start to 2012 by winning the Annika Invitational. Currently a junior at Valencia High School, she plans to continue her golf career at UCLA upon graduating. |
 |
Esther Lee, Los Alamitos, 17: Esther has competed in junior golf tournaments since she was 10 years old, most recently competing in the U.S. Girls Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Her latest accomplishment was representing the U.S. on the 2011 Junior Solheim Cup team in Ireland. As captain of the golf team at Los Alamitos High School, Esther has been named league MVP three times. She enjoys this leadership position and says that “being a leader isn’t about having the loudest voice or the meanest glare, it’s about being able to communicate with the players and being able to encourage them to chase their dreams and do their best.”
|
 |
Kaitlin Park, Irvine, 17: Kaitlin is a senior at Beckman High School in Irvine and will continue her golf career at Northwestern University this fall. She was named a four-time MVP of her golf team, was the Southern California CIF Sectionals Champion, has three AJGA victories, won three times on the Toyota Tour Cup, and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2011. She says that “golf pushes me to be stronger, more confident, and most importantly, to be true to myself.” |
 |
Texie Petchel, Murrieta, 14: Texie began playing golf at age 6 and is now giving back to the same Little Linkers program that helped her get her start in Murrieta. A freshman at Vista Murrieta High School, Texie has already gotten involved with student government and other extracurricular activities. She has been recognized by Future Champions Golf as its 2011 Player of the Year, was the Western States Players Cup Champion in 2011, and most recently won a Golfweek West Coast Series event while playing in the 15-18 year old division. |
 |
Katelyn Reynolds, Sherman Oaks, 15: A sophomore at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Katelyn has already been named a two-time Mission League MVP and was the Freshman Athlete of the Year. In 2011, she qualified for the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Championship, where she made it to the match play rounds. She actively competes in AJGA events, where she owns one title, and was named to the 2010 AJGA/Gary Gilchrist Junior Allstar Team. Katelyn is also a three-time winner of the Toyota Tour Cup. |
 |
Katie Rice, Oxnard, 17: Katie picked up the game of golf only four years ago and has already secured a spot at Moorehead State University, where she’ll play upon graduating from Oxnard High School. Katie has been actively involved at school, participating in student government and on the school’s mock trial team in addition to serving as captain of the golf team during her junior and senior seasons. She has also volunteered with the Special Olympics junior golf classes in her area and says that “the joy that these kids get while playing reminds me how the game should be enjoyed and appreciated to its fullest.” |
 |
Raychelle Santos, La Quinta, 18: Raychelle is a senior at La Quinta High School and will be attending Gonzaga University this fall on a golf scholarship. She has been playing in competitive tournaments since she was 6 and has had many accomplishments on the course. She was the point winner for the SCPGA Toyota Cup in 2011, was awarded her high school team’s MVP award all four years, and was the Desert Valley league champion three times. |
 |
Gabriella Then, Upland, 16: Gabby attends Upland High School, where she maintains a 4.0 GPA. Golf has played a major role in her life since she was 5. Her golf accomplishments include competing in the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, competing on the victorious U.S. Junior Solheim Cup team, and competing three times in the U.S. Women’s Amateur, where in 2008 she was one of the youngest qualifiers at the age of 12. 2011 was a highlight year for her, as she made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Junior Girls Championship, won the Rolex Tournament of Champions and was named a first-team Rolex Junior All American. |
 |
Drew Thomas, Ventura, 18: Drew will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this fall on a full golf scholarship, despite having not taken up the game until high school. The Ventura native has a goal of playing golf professionally and hopes one day to inspire people with the message that you can overcome any hardship you face. Having battled obesity as a child, Drew states that “for the longest time my weight held me back, and I let it because I was afraid to change, but I realized that I needed to embrace it and not let it define who I am.” After losing 41 pounds, she is proud that she finally started to believe in herself and went from the girl who never got off the couch to a competitive athlete. Her high school career ended with her being named the Ventura County Golfer of the Year. |
 |
Lilia Vu, Fountain Valley, 14: Only a freshman at Fountain Valley High School, Lilia has already won the CIF Individual Championship. Additional golf highlights include winning the 2011 Callaway Junior World Championships and the AJGA Junior All-Star at River Ridge. She also qualified for the 2011 U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Championship. |
 |
Cha Cha Willhoite, Palm Desert, 17: The two-time Coachella Valley golfer of the year will be attending San Jose State University in the fall on a full scholarship. One very important experience in her life was playing on the golf team at Palm Desert High School. “Learning how to be on a team before going to college is so important. Learning how to work as a team in an individual sport takes so much effort and I was so blessed to be on such a talented team.” Cha Cha was the runner up at the 2011 CIF Girls State High School Championship.
|
 |
Allie Zech, Palm Desert, 18: Allie carries a 4.7 GPA as a senior at Palm Desert High School and will attend the University of Colorado this fall. She has competed in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. She has also been a three-time SCPGA Jr. Tour Dinah Shore Award Winner. In addition to her golf accomplishments, Allie has given back to the game by being a volunteer coach at The First Tee of the Coachella Valley. Through golf, she says, “I have learned everything from time management to being responsible for setting a yearlong schedule, in addition to gaining knowledge about the great women who pushed golf in a new direction and paved new paths for female golfers.” |
