Entering her junior year at Mira Costa High School, Andrea Lee realizes her aspiration of attending Stanford University will not come easy.
But the student-athlete from Hermosa Beach is up to the challenge. Year’s of come-from-behind wins and pressure-filled putts on the golf course not only has prepared the 15-year-old for the upcoming AP courses needed for admission to the PAC-12 school, but has made her the top-ranked female youth golfer in the nation.
“Honestly, I don’t feel any pressure,” Lee said. “I just play my own game. Last year I was at the top of the leader board in a lot of tournaments and felt the pressure but I’ve learned to deal with it.”
Sunny Lee is not surprised of her daughter’s accomplishments.
“Everything gets better over time and with repetition but since early on, Andrea has dealt with pressure better than most,” Sunny said.
At press time, Lee had amassed 112.16 points in the Polo Golf Rankings, the proprietary system created by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) to identify and rank the top junior players who have competed in the premier junior golf tournaments in the U.S.
Lee holds a large lead over Bethany Wu, of Diamond Bar who has 77.44 points.
Competing in U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at the Nassau Country Club in Glen Cove, NY in August, Lee reached the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Kristen Gillman, 16, of Austin, Texas.
Lee’s parents, James and Sunny, share the duties of getting Andrea to tournaments and practices at The Lakes in El Segundo or courses in Long Beach and Industry Hills, but both are equally committed to balancing their daughter’s academic life with that on the golf course.
“We are very proud and excited of her achievements this year,” Sunny said. “Andrea has worked very hard, not just in golf, but in academics as well. Hopefully, she can finish this year strong. Her academic achievements were the most impressive. To compete at the highest level in Junior and in Amateur golf and still maintain her grades with so much make up work was impressive.”
Andrea is concluding a year that would be the envy of any young golfer. In November 2013, Lee won the CIF State Championship as a sophomore in her final prep contest of her career.
“It felt amazing to end my high school golf career that way,” Lee said. “But with my AP classes, playing on Mira Costa’s team again this fall would be too much. I enjoyed the camaraderie of playing on a team and hope to play on Stanford’s team in two years.”
At the time, Lee was ranked 12th in the Polo rankings and her rise to the top came from wins at the Rolex Tournament of Champions at Nashville, TN and the inaugural Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts held at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe.
Lee, a three-time Rolex Junior-All American, also made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst, NC. While the media was focusing on 11-year-old Lucy Li, who missed the cut for the final two days of competition, Lee birdied three of her final five holes to become the youngest player to qualify for the final 36 holes.
“I hope to win the Rolex Player of the Year,” Lee said. “It’s one of my biggest goals this year. Winning the Rolex and Yani tournaments put me in a good spot and participating in the Women’s Open helped me a lot. Playing in front of the large crowds and being one of the youngest ones out there boosted my confidence.”
Lee finished 60th in what she hopes is many appearances in one of the top tournaments held in the United States.
“For me, watching Andrea compete in the U.S. Open was a highlight of her career,” Sunny said. “Just seeing her practice and play amongst the best golfers in the world was very special and for her to make the cut was exciting and fun to watch.”
Lee and Robynn Ree, of Redondo Beach, were two of 10 girls selected to represent the West team in the Wyndham Cup held in early July at the Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth, MA.
The Wyndham Cup brings together 40 of the nation’s top juniors in an East-versus-West team match play tournament. With the Mississippi River as the division separating East from West, 10 boys and 10 girls from each side are selected based on the Polo Golf Rankings.
After going undefeated in all 2013 matches, Lee returned for her third Wyndham Cup with a 7-1-0 record. Both South Bay golfers were instrumental in leading the West to a come-from-behind victory to retain the Cup for the third straight year.
“I think we played well and weren’t overconfident,” Lee said. “We were only five points back going into the final day and knew we could win but did feel the pressure of losing the Cup.”
Lee’s strong performance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships helped her reach another goal this season – being named to the Jr. Ryder Cup team.
The 2014 Junior Ryder Cup will be played at Blairgowrie Golf Club in Perthshire, Scotland Sept. 22-23 prior to the prestigious Ryder Cup at Gleneagles Sept. 26-28.
Lee joins Wu, Gillman, Amy Lee (Brea), Sierra Brooks (Sorrento, FL) and Hannah O’Sullivan (Paradise Valley, AZ) as a member of the U.S. team.
“I really wanted to be named to the Jr. Ryder Cup team,” Lee said. “Playing in Scotland will be very special.”
Andrea competes in about 10 tournaments per year which includes the AJGA Invitational and the USGA events.
“There are times when James and I have to take turns due to financial restraints and conflicting work schedule,’ Sunny said. “ It’s a lot of sacrifice and dedication but I’m sure it is for all parents who have student-athletes. Whichever the sport, one has to be extremely self motivated and have support and dedication from school and parents.”
“My mom tells me I can repay her some day,” Andrea said with a laugh.
